The Liverpool midfielder and Shakhtar Donetsk attacker are in but Thiago Silva and Julio Cesar are absent as is Kaka for the friendlies against South Korea and Zambia

Lucas Leiva and Bernard will be in the 22-man Brazil squad for the upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Zambia in October.

Lucas’ return to fitness and form for Liverpool this season has been rewarded and he will take the place of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fernando.

Captain Thiago Silva, goalkeeper Julio Cesar and striker Fred all miss out through injury, as Cruzeiro’s Dede, Atletico Miniero’s Victor and Shakhtar’s summer signing Bernard step in as replacements.

Yet again, there is no place in the squad for Kaka and Ronaldinho, with the pair also missing the Selecao’s games against Australia and Portugal in August.

However, Scolari still has significant firepower at his disposal, with Neymar, Hulk, Lucas Moura and Oscar all set to travel to the Far East next month.

Brazil will visit South Korea on October 12, before making the trip to Beijing to face Zambia three days later.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro), Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense)

Defenders: Dani Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Roma), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich) Henrique (Palmeiras), Dede (Cruzeiro).

Midfielders: Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Hernanes (Lazio), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Paulinho (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), Oscar (Chelsea).

Attackers: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain) Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg), Alexandre Pato (Corinthians), Neymar (Barcelona).

The Liverpool midfielder and Shakhtar Donetsk attacker are in but Thiago Silva and Julio Cesar are absent as is Kaka for the friendlies against South Korea and Zambia

Lucas Leiva and Bernard will be in the 22-man Brazil squad for the upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Zambia in October.

Lucas’ return to fitness and form for Liverpool this season has been rewarded and he will take the place of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fernando.

Captain Thiago Silva, goalkeeper Julio Cesar and striker Fred all miss out through injury, as Cruzeiro’s Dede, Atletico Miniero’s Victor and Shakhtar’s summer signing Bernard step in as replacements.

Yet again, there is no place in the squad for Kaka and Ronaldinho, with the pair also missing the Selecao’s games against Australia and Portugal in August.

However, Scolari still has significant firepower at his disposal, with Neymar, Hulk, Lucas Moura and Oscar all set to travel to the Far East next month.

Brazil will visit South Korea on October 12, before making the trip to Beijing to face Zambia three days later.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro), Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense)

Defenders: Dani Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Roma), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich) Henrique (Palmeiras), Dede (Cruzeiro).

Midfielders: Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Hernanes (Lazio), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Paulinho (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), Oscar (Chelsea).

Attackers: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain) Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg), Alexandre Pato (Corinthians), Neymar (Barcelona).

The Uruguayan striker was determined to leave Anfield during the transfer window, but the club’s managing director says the striker will be offered fresh terms next year

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre says the club will offer Luis Suarez a new contract at the end of the season.

The Uruguay international made no secret of his desire to leave Anfield over the summer, with Arsenal seeing two bids for the striker rejected, and Ayre recently claimed the player had damaged Liverpool’s brand.

Suarez returned to Brendan Rodgers’ starting line-up for Wednesday’s Capital One Cup defeat to Manchester United after serving a 10-game ban and Ayre is determined to retain his services for the foreseeable future.

“We sort of begin those type of discussions two years in from the end, so it’ll be the end of this season,” Ayre told Sky Sports News.

“We’ll do the same with everyone and at the right time we’ll have the discussion with Luis and his advisors.”

Rodgers accused Arsenal of “lacking class” after submitting a controversial £40,000,001 bid for the striker in the hope of triggering a supposed buy-out clause in his contract, but Ayre insists he holds no grudges against the Gunners or counterpart Ivan Gazidis.

“That’s the transfer market,” he continued. “I have huge respect for Arsenal, they’re a great football club, with some great people. I’m good friends with Ivan. Trying to get players, making offers for players, it’s all part of the game.

“Anyone who says it isn’t and makes a big noise is not really being honest. Everybody does the same thing in football, everybody’s trying to achieve the same thing, we’re all trying our best to buy the best players for the best price.”