Bournemouth player compared to Angel Di María – Manager explains surprise midfield experiment

Ancelotti tested Rayan as a left-sided midfielder for Brazil and compared him to Di María's 2014 Champions League role at Real Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti has experimented with Bournemouth's Rayan in an unexpected position for Brazil, deploying the 19-year-old as a left-sided midfielder. The manager praised the youngster's performances in the new role and publicly explained his reasoning at Friday's press conference in Singapore.

Ancelotti drew a striking comparison to Ángel Di María's successful spell in midfield at Real Madrid in 2014, when the Argentine winger played as a left-sided midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation that won the Champions League. "We tried Rayan as a left-sided midfielder and he did a good job.

It's something new for him, but I think it could be an opportunity for him and also for the national team to have a player with those characteristics," Ancelotti said.

Rayan retained his midfield position during Friday's final training session, playing on the left of a midfield three alongside Bruno Guimarães and Andrey Santos. Brazil's coaching staff believe his attacking qualities and physical strength could help him combine with Vinicius Junior down the flank while also providing defensive support. The experiment is set to continue in Saturday's friendly against Japan.