Rio De Janeiro, Sep 29 (IANS): Atletico Mineiro left-back Guilherme Arana has been added to Brazil's squad for FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay, the Brazilian football confederation said.

The 26-year-old replaces Caio Henrique, who suffered ligament damage to his left knee while playing for Monaco in a 1-0 defeat to Nice last Friday, reports Xinhua.

Arana, who has been capped four times for Brazil, has not represented the five-time World Cup winners for more than a year after suffering a serious knee injury that required surgery.

"I had to overcome the frustration of missing the World Cup but I've come back stronger than ever," the defender said in a social media post.

Brazil will play Venezuela in Cuiaba on October 12 and Uruguay in Montevideo five days later.

The Selecao began their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup with a 5-1 home win over Bolivia and a 1-0 away victory over Peru earlier this month.