Brazil’s national coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari clarified this Tuesday that Diego Costa, a player being considered for international duty by Spain, is part of a shortlist of 45 players he might call up for Brazil’s upcoming friendlies and the World Cup.

"I didn’t say that Costa would receive a call-up. I just said that he is in a group of 45 players we are interested in and might call up," said Scolari following Brazil’s friendly win over Zambia in Beijing.

The manager said that for the friendlies to be played in November in preparation for the Brazil World Cup, he would "definitely" call up "two or three" players who had not taken part in the games against Zambia and South Korea.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) received confirmation this Monday that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) had informed FIFA that Costa has never played for Brazil in a competitive match at any level.

Vicente Del Bosque is now free to call up the Atlético de Madrid forward given his dual nationality. Costa played in two friendlies for Brazil last March, against Italy and Russia, but Scolari then seemed to forget about him and the forward told Del Bosque that he was interested in playing for Spain.