Scolari knows Brazil squad, picks four captains for World Cup

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari knows his 23-man squad for the World Cup finals and has chosen Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Julio Cesar and Fred to act as captains, he said on Thursday.

"I have no doubts," Scolari said at the Sao Judas Tadeu University in Sao Paulo after a conference on psychology and football. "But I have to wait for the leagues that are under way to end. You never know what might happen."

The coach said he had not yet informed the 23 men who will seek to win Brazil's sixth world title - and their first on home soil - in June and July this year. Even his deputy Carlos Alberto Parreira is still in the dark, he said.

"It's not a secret if two people know, not even if one of them is your wife," he said. "You won't see any surprises. If you make your own list you'll get 22 of them right."

In addition to guaranteeing the presence of the four captains, Scolari dropped another clue when admitting he would be cheering Atletico Madrid to beat Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals.

Chelsea have four Brazilians playing for them - Oscar, David Luiz, Ramires and Willian - and he said the four would be more rested if they did not qualify for the final in Lisbon in late May. The two sides drew 0-0 in the first leg in Spain on Tuesday.

Scolari is due to announce his squad in Rio de Janeiro on May 7.

(Reporting by Tatiana Ramil; Writing by Andrew Downie; editing by Justin Palmer)