Brazil friendly: Marquinhos greets Kolkata; upbeat Blue Tigers arrive

• Brazil will arrive in Kolkata on Thursday, 1 October, ahead of their much-awaited FIFA friendly against India next Saturday, with captain Marquinhos already greeting the city on social media.

• India enter the high-profile fixture on the back of a spirited 1-1 draw against 44th-ranked Panama, while coach Khalid Jamil insists his side will respect Brazil without being overawed.

• Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has urged patience as he rotates his squad and develops younger players.

When Marquinhos, the Brazilian defensive leader, says 'namaskar Kolkata' in an Instagram post from Down Under, one knows the D-day for the much-awaited India-Brazil FIFA friendly on 3 October, is drawing near. The Seleção, who are playing the second friendly of their tour against the Socceroos in Brisbane on Tuesday, will land in Kolkata on Thursday, 1 October.

Members of an upbeat Blue Tigers squad, who played out a spirited 1-1 draw with 44th-ranked Panama in Bengaluru on Friday, arrived on Monday afternoon and were greeted by an enthusiastic media contingent.

For all the criticism the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has faced for going 'overboard' in hosting what is easily one of the most mismatched contests in Indian football history, the fixture promises to be a windfall for Khalid Jamil's men — and for a city that has always worn its love for Brazil on its sleeve.

"We hold them [Brazil] in the highest esteem, but we are not going to be overawed by them," Khalid said in a media interaction.

Carlo Ancelotti, whose Samba Boys came in for some criticism after being held to a 1-1 draw by the Socceroos on 25 September, said on social media that he was aware of the huge admiration his team enjoys in Kolkata.

"We are looking forward to a good tour of India," said the 67-year-old decorated Italian coach, nicknamed 'Don Carlo'.

Urging Brazil's legion of fans to be patient as the squad begins its transition following a last-16 exit from the previous World Cup, Ancelotti said: "It doesn't taste like a defeat because it's a draw. We could have won as we had chances. It was difficult to play on this pitch. We have to be patient. We responded after conceding and secured a deserved draw. These are tests we have to run, handing out opportunities and moving forward. It was a test. The next one will be another test."

Ancelotti reiterated his desire to treat the friendly window as an audition phase, prioritising development over immediate results before competitive action resumes. Responding to scrutiny over his side's lack of cutting edge, the coach added: "This isn't the start of a cycle, it's a continuation. The priority is to give minutes to those who play less, young players with potential like Endrick and Estevao.

"The fans need to be patient. When official competitions arrive, we will be ready. [The friendly had] some positive aspects... We had the chance to take the lead; we just lacked precision in the final third. The team fought until the end, didn't want to lose, and didn't lose."

Asked whether he planned to reshuffle his starting XI for the second meeting with Australia, he concluded: "It will change a little, not much. We are making rotations to give minutes to others."