One of Tite’s great dependables, Renato Augusto has played a major role in Brazil’s rebirth under the current coach.
After breaking into the side under previous boss Dunga, the midfielder quickly became the thread that weaved the current Selecao together, forming a formidable partnership in the centre of the pitch with Paulinho.
A guaranteed first-team player who was even selected as one of the three overage players to lead Brazil’s Olympic campaign in 2016.
And, tellingly, it was invariably to Renato that Tite would speak on the sidelines when attempting to convey messages to the team during matches.
However, the final stretch of World Cup qualifiers and March’s Brasil Global Tour clashes with Russia and Germany have left him on the outside looking in.
"I know my importance within the group, so the important thing is to be physically fit, to keep training well, and to play well if Tite needs to be ready to help the team,” Renato told Brasil Global Tour in Berlin.
"I have to work for that, to be in the squad for the World Cup and then turn up and fight for a place for a place in the team. We have players of great quality, some really great names, but I will always fight for my space."
Prior to last month, Willian was the only player to have been dropped from the first-team since Tite’s debut starting XI in September 2016.
Rupert Fryer/Brasil Global Tour
After starting both games in March, Willian appears to be back in Tite's first-team plans – and that leaves Renato fearing for his place.
Philippe Coutinho has frequently being moved infield to accommodate Willian, while against Germany Fernandinho was added to midfield to add an extra layer of protection to the back-four.
Both saw Renato relegated to the bench.
But whether he starts or not, the 30-year-old Beijing Guoan man will no doubt have a role to play in Brazil’s fortunes in Russia this year, with Tite already confirming Renato has secured a place in his World Cup 2018 squad.
#GERBRA pic.twitter.com/sHkvUKiWUw
— Brasil Global Tour (@BGT_ENG) March 27, 2018
And Renato believes the Selecao’s 1-0 victory over Germany in Berlin was another important step on their way to what they hope will be a sixth world title.
“We have to use it as a training for the World Cup,” he said.
“We have not won anything yet. It's no good to think that it's all over, that anything has been resolved, because it's not like that.
“It was just one more step, one that we had to go through and now we have the team that feels strong going into the World Cup.”
Tite will announce his final World Cup squad in May before the Brasil Global Tour returns with matches against Croatia in England and Austria in Vienna.
