"I told them that we should try to get a big name in world football, or at least send an invitation," Xinhua quoted Dorival as saying after his team's 2-0 loss to Flamengo on Sunday.
"It was just a recommendation ... It won't hurt us to try. We didn't only speak about Schweinsteiger but other players too. A player like that can obviously lift the level of the team, but he has to come with an objective and an appetite."
Schweinsteiger was made to train with the club's reserves for large parts of the season but was included in the squad for United's 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Sunday.
The former Germany captain, who won eight Bundesliga titles and the 2012/13 Champions League with Bayern Munich, said in August he would not join another club in Europe if left United.
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(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
