Ancelotti confident Brazil can handle Haaland threat

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti says his defenders need no special instructions on how to stop Erling Haaland ahead of Sunday's World Cup last-16 match against Norway.

Haaland has scored five goals in three appearances and is among the contenders for the Golden Boot. The Manchester City striker will renew his Premier League rivalry with Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes, while Brazil captain Marquinhos has also faced the Norwegian in the Champions League.

"Everyone knows how he works. I have nothing to explain to my defenders about how to play against him. They've obviously played against him several times," Ancelotti said.

"I don't think that there's such a thing as an anti-Haaland plan. I don't need to tell my players how to defend."

Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is also familiar with Haaland after facing him while playing for Newcastle. He is expected to play a key role in limiting the supply to the prolific striker, particularly with Lucas Paqueta ruled out through injury, forcing Brazil to reshape their midfield.

"We have to avoid the ball getting to his feet," Guimaraes said. "We do have to attack, but we've got to make sure that somebody stays on him, because with one ball, he can decide the match."

The teams are also preparing for challenging weather conditions. An extreme heat warning remains in effect across the region, although temperatures are expected to ease before kick-off. In nearby New York City, the heat index, which measures the apparent temperature when humidity is taken into account, reached 105F (41C) on Friday afternoon before conditions became slightly cooler during Saturday's training sessions.

"I don't think anybody is used to that temperature," Guimaraes said. "This is going to be a very physical match. It's really important for you to have your squad on point, even the guys that come from the bench to be fresh."

Ancelotti believes Brazil's comeback victory over Japan in the last 32 has strengthened the squad's confidence ahead of the knockout tie.

"We have to play at our best level, but I think we are at a time when we can play at our best level because we're confident," the Italian said.

"We've come out of a challenging last match against Japan, and we're prepared for anything that can happen, just as we were for our last match."

The Brazil coach also revealed that Raphinha could return after missing the previous two matches with a thigh injury.

"Raphinha is making great progress. He's not at 100 per cent, but he might be on the bench to play a few minutes," Ancelotti said.

"He's recovering really well and fast. We're really happy. Raphinha is a very important player for our team."

He also suggested Neymar and Vinicius Junior could feature together against Norway. Vinicius Junior has led Brazil's attack with four goals at the World Cup, while the country's all-time leading scorer has made only one brief substitute appearance since recovering from a calf injury.

"Yes, Neymar and Vinicius could play together at some point, and I think they will," Ancelotti said.