a A list full of surprises. After days of speculation, manager Carlo Ancelotti has finally revealed the names of players called up for Brazil’s friendlies against France and Croatia in the United States on March 26 and 31, respectively, but Neymar Junior was not among them.
This came as a big surprise, as the Brazilian was included in the reserve list for these matches, according to local media. After reviewing his squad, the Italian coach revealed why Ney was not called up.
Ancelotti reveals why Neymar was excluded: Will he miss the World Cup?
Carlet’s decision not to include the 34-year-old star in his squad was not based on a whim, but rather with his health and fitness in mind.
After recovering from revision surgery on his left knee at the end of last year, Ney has played in just four games this year.Although he played the full 90 minutes in the match against Corinthians (1-1), he just missed the match between Mirasol and Santos (2-2) on Tuesday, March 10th, in Matchday 5 of the Brasileiran, due to a muscle strain caused by excessive fatigue during practice.
Additionally, the player has not played for Canarinha since sustaining a serious knee injury in the South American qualifying match against Uruguay on October 17, 2023.
Therefore, following the news that Neymar’s recent absence from Verde Amarella and his participation in the FIFA World Cup are in some doubt, manager Ancelotti said:
“If he goes to the next World Cup at 100%, he can play. Why is he not on this list now? Because he is not 100%. We need a player who is at 100% right now. But as I said, the final squad will be different. Neymar must continue to work and play and prove his quality by being in good physical condition.”
“This is a physical evaluation, not a technical evaluation,” Caretto continued to clarify. “Neymar is very good with the ball. For the coaching staff and for me, he has not yet reached his full potential. He has to work to achieve that. This is my opinion, and the opinion of the entire coaching staff who have watched his games and will continue to follow him in the coming months.”
Neymar considers the next tournament one of his most important goals, if not the most important, and is doing everything possible to arrive at football’s biggest event in the best possible condition. But everything will depend on Ancelotti’s final decision and, of course, his health.
Full list of players called up:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al Nasr), Ederson (Fenerbae) Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Danilo (Flamengo), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Gabriel Magalles (Arsenal), Ibaez (Al Ahly), Lo Pereira (Flamengo), Marquinhos (PSG), Wesley (Roma) Midfielders: Andrei Santos (Chelsea), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al Ittihad), Gabriel Sala (Galatasaray) Forwards: Endrik (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luis Enrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Ryan (Bournemouth), Vini Junior (Real Madrid), Ju Pedro (Chelsea).
