Rio de Janeiro: Offering no major surprises, Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari on Wednesday unveiled the 23 men he trusts can deliver a sixth World Cup ahead of this year’s event starting on June 12 on home soil.

Having already led the most successful nation in the tournament’s history to their fifth title in Japan in 2002, Scolari is now out to slay the ghosts of 1950, when the Selecao lost the trophy match to Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro.

“We have a very good group,” said Scolari, 65, while insisting that there must be no premature thinking about the knockout phase.

“We are not interested in who our rival might be in the final. The players know we have to get through the opening phase, and that means Croatia [who Brazil face in the first game] are our most important opponent for the moment.”

But he repeated an earlier assertion that, in Brazil, “we are obliged to win”.

Scolari’s squad list contained no major surprises — Napoli defender Henrique landed the final berth, but several veterans missed the cut.

They included Milan forward Robinho (92 caps), along with former world players of the year Ronaldinho (97 caps) and Kaka (87 caps), an echo of his decision to dump Romario more than a decade ago.

With Scolari having said for months that he knew in his own mind who he wanted to pick, save for one or two exceptions, the focus was on who would provide back-up for a first XI who saw off world champions Spain to win last year’s Confederations Cup.

For the defensive second string, Paris St Germain’s Maxwell edged out Atletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis, while veteran defender Maicon won a spot at the expense of Bayern Munich’s Rafinha, even though the latter had played in a March friendly romp against South Africa.

Henrique of Napoli, fresh from lifting the Coppa Italia and who formerly played under Scolari at Palmeiras, also claimed the final defensive berth and said he was “lost for words” as “it’s a dream to represent your country.”

In the middle, Scolari completed his contingent with Manchester City’s Fernandinho and also Inter Milan’s Hernanes.

Scolari had already named as his four captains defensive lynchpins Thiago Silva and David Luiz, veteran striker Fred of Fluminense and goalkeeper Julio Cesar, despite Cesar now playing in Major League Soccer with Toronto.

In 2002, Scolari preferred a 3-4-3 line up with Ronaldo at its apex. But now he and technical coordinator Carlos Alberto Parreira will likely base their hopes on a 4-2-3-1 permutation with the idea that star man Neymar of Barcelona can enjoy a free role.

“It was easier to name the squad this time,” said Scolari, recalling that in 2002 he had fretted about his final selection.

Despite finalising his second string choices, he will almost certainly keep faith with the starting team that beat Spain last year — Cesar; Dani Alves, Luiz, Silva, Marcelo; Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred.

“The Confederations Cup team is the base,” he noted.