Brazil coach Mano Menezes has announced his 23-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies on October 6 and 13 against as of now two unknown opponents. The Brazilian FA will announce the Selecao's opponents later on Thursday.

Menezes somewhat surprisingly opted to leave highly rated Santos youngster Neymar out of his squad following the attacker's disappointing form and off the pitch problems in recent weeks.

"I want to be clear as to the line of thinking in the way we work. We have always said that players get called-up because of their performances on the pitch. Neymar has been struggling a bit to find his best form recently and has had some problems off the pitch," said Menezes to reporters.

"We are going to leave these problems outside of the Selecao at this moment. We feel like we are sending a clear message here, so that everyone knows what is going on in our minds. We are not trying to be extra harsh on someone.

"But we all agree that the brilliant style of football he showcased in the last months should be the trademark of Neymar. If that returns, he will return to the Selecao."

Milan attacker Ronaldinho, who recently declared that he's eager to make a comeback in Brazil's national side has also been left out of the squad, while players such as Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano, Inter defenders Maicon and Lucio, Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo and Wolfsburg's Diego haven't been included either.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Victor (Gremio), Jefferson (Botafogo), Neto (Atletico Paranaense)

Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Mariano (Fluminense), Alex (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Milan), David Luiz (Benfica), Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Adriano (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Wesley (Werder Bremen), Sandro (Tottenham), Ramires (Chelsea), Philippe Coutinho (Inter), Lucas (Liverpool), Giuliano (Internacional), Elias (Corinthians), Carlos Eduardo (Rubin Kazan)

Forwards: Robinho (Milan), Alexandre Pato (Milan), Nilmar (Villarreal), Andre (Dynamo Kiev)