RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Choose Neymar who is prone to injury Brazil’s inclusion in the World Cup squad seemed risky, but that proved just 10 days later on Thursday.
Team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said the 34-year-old forward suffered a calf injury and was unlikely to be fit for Brazil’s opening match against Morocco.
“He is expected to be out for two to three weeks,” Lasmar told reporters.
Brazil will play Morocco on June 13 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, starting a group that also includes Haiti and Scotland.
“Neymar arrived in Gran Ja Comály (Wednesday) and after all the medical tests he was diagnosed with a grade 2 calf injury,” Lasmar said of the team’s training base near Rio de Janeiro.
Neymar was selected by coach Carlo Ancelotti to play in his fourth World Cup with the 26-man squad, despite not having played for the national team since October 2023. tore the cruciate ligament Injured his left knee during the World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay.
He has only played a few games for Santos this season since returning from Saudi Arabia on a free transfer from Al Hilal.
FIFA World Cup rules allow Neymar to be substituted by the June 1 deadline for Ancelotti to submit his final squad, or the day before the team’s first game in the tournament.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
