Three first-choice players were called up on Tuesday to Brazil's men's volleyball team, which will play South Korea on the weekend for the FIVB World League.

Libero Sergio Santos, nicknamed Escadinha (Little ladder), middle hitter Andr Heller and setter Andre Nascimento kicked off practice at the national team's training center in Saquarema, a seaside town north Rio de Janeiro state.

The rest of the team is in Japan, where they are warming up for the next matches.

Escadinha, who is still undergoing medical treatment as a follow-up to a surgery on his knee, said he expected to be ready to join the team for the World League finals in the July 11-15 period.

However, he stressed he would not play the first games even if he were not injured, as he had an agreement with Brazil's coaching committee under which he would play for his team Piacenza up to the finals of the Italian Championship, and then go on vacation.

Heller also said that the decision to join the squad at a later point in the League had to do with the need to rest, as he plays for an Italian club (Trentino), too.

Nascimento, who used to be Heller's colleague at Trentino and left the team at the end of the 2006-2007 season, also highlighted the importance of the vacation.

Brazil holds six World League titles, including the last four editions (2003-2006).