Chile head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi has revealed that star attacker Alexis Sanchez "is available" to start against Germany in their crucial Confederations Cup clash.
The Arsenal ace picked up an ankle problem prior to the opening-game meeting with Cameroon at the weekend, forcing him to take a place among the subs.
Sanchez made a difference from the bench, however, setting up Arturo Vidal's opener and playing a key part in Eduardo Vargas's strike as Chile came out on top 2-0.
Speaking to reporters on the eve of his side's second Group B outing, which will likely decide who finishes top, Pizzi admitted that he is glad to have Sanchez back, but Claudio Bravo is still absent from the group.
"Alexis is available, He showed he could play without problems and he recovered after a couple of days. He trained and didn't have any pain," he said. "The doctors and physios are the ones who decide whether the players can play or not and they've said he can play.
"Claudio won't play. For me, the fact that he is here is really important. He's a captain and a point of reference in this group. He's improved quite a lot, he's recovering and he's doing what the doctors told us. He's been a bit more active in training sessions and we hope he will be able to play soon."
Chile top the Group B standings on goal difference ahead of Thursday's clash in Kazan, as Germany could only manage a narrow 3-2 win over Australia.
Daniel Lewis
Portugal
Mexico
Russia
New Zealand
Germany
Chile
Australia
Cameroon
