World Cup 2014 11am Bulletin: Brazil lean on Chelsea

Oscar is expected to return to number ten duty against Germany

The Chelsea members of Brazil's squad will be required to step up against Germany in Neymar's absence...

Brazil won their toughest match yet against Colombia in the World Cup quarter-finals, but lost a lot along the way. Neymar was ruled out of the rest of the tournament injured, while captain Thiago Silva will miss the semi-final with Germany through suspension, assuming his appeal fails.

Most significantly, that twin blow has seen them surrender their status as World Cup favourites, being overhauled by not just Argentina, the new 3.613/5 frontrunners, but Germany too at 3.711/4. The hosts are now third in the betting at 3.8514/5, ahead of only 5.04/1 outsiders Netherlands.

It is arguable that it is healthy for the team to lose their get-out-of-jail card and temptation to coast in anticipation of Neymar magic. However, as he has scored four of their ten goals and David Luiz is his sole teammate to have notched more than one, there is concern over who will pick up the baton.

Fred has struck once thus far and Hulk is yet to get off the mark, so the solution to Brazil's search for goals in a fixture that they enter as 2.0421/20 outsiders to qualify could hail from Stamford Bridge.

Oscar netted in the opener against Croatia and should resume central service in Neymar's absence having been forced out wide previously, while Willian is expected to enter the side after receiving just 39 minutes of action over the first five games. Ramires is another slightly less attacking option.

Argentina have an injury problem of their own with Angel Di Maria unavailable to face Netherlands, which risks turning the middle-of-the-park battle in their semi-final into a clutter of spoiling midfielders with little to actually spoil, Lionel Messi aside of course.

Louis van Gaal, whose Tim Krul masterpiece stretched his streak of Dutch matches won as a direct consequence of his substitutions to four, is likely to tweak against the Albiceleste following his bold adoption of 3-4-3 with Wesley Sneijder as one of the central midfield two against Costa Rica.

A return to 3-4-1-2, with Georginio Wijnaldum and Jonathan de Guzman holding behind Sneijder, is a strong possibility for the Oranje, who are 2.285/4 to become the first European nation since Germany in 1990 to reach successive World Cup finals.