Brazil not scaring Spain coach or players

MADRID: Spain coach Luis Aragones has taken a bullish approach to the possibility that the World Cup draw could pitch his side against Brazil at the quarter-final stage.

''It would be better if didn't meet them, but if we did we would have to remember they have only won one of their five World Cups in Europe (Sweden 1958),'' Aragones told a news conference today.

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas said: ''If you told me we were going to play Brazil in the quarters I would sign for that right now.

''In a World Cup anything can happen. You can go out on penalties, as happened to us last time, or knock out Brazil.'' More immediately, Spain need to negotiate a World cup warm-up match against Russia in Albacete tomorrow.

Aragones asked for patience from fans and journalists: ''The friendly will allow us to measure how far we have progressed and a win would give us all a lift.

''But we have had to work very quickly in a short space of time and it is difficult to be at our best after only a week of preparation.

'I hope to see some progress on the concepts we have been working on, against a rival who will be similar to Ukraine.'' Spain play Ukraine in their opening match of the finals in Leipzig on June 14.

The squad have been working on different tactics in training in particular a 4-3-3 formation which has been the subject of debate in the Spanish press.

Aragones has been playing Valencia striker David Villa out of position on the left with Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres in the centre and Liverpool's Luis Garcia on the right.

Spain will be without right back Michel Salgado who is recovering from a muscle strain and left back Asier del Horno whose future in the squad is in doubt after he was diagnosed with an injury around his Achilles tendon.

But Aragones refused to reveal much about tomorrow's game.

''I haven't said who is going to play where or what formation we will use yet,'' Aragones added.

''But the side that plays will be close to the one we'll use in the World Cup.'' After Russia, Spain play friendlies against African champions Egypt and fellow World Cup qualifiers Croatia in Geneva.

REUTERS