Neymar does not expect his calf injury to be a problem at the World Cup.
The Brazilian forward will report to national team duty today having sat out Santos‘ last three games because of a bruised right calf.
Asked about his calf, after watching Santos beat Deportivo Cuenca 3-0 in Tuesday’s Copa Sudamericana gam at Vila Belmiro, Neymar said: “It’s right here, in one piece.”
Neymar, 34, got hurt while playing for Santos in a 3-0 defeat against Coritiba on May 17. When asked if his latest injury setback will be a problem for this summer’s tournament, Neymar said: “What problem?”
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Despite Neymar’s optimism, Brazil‘s medical staff is taking a cautious approach to the player’s condition and has drawn up a specific programme for him.
Sources told ESPN that the swelling in Neymar’s right calf is not minor and that the required recovery time may be longer than initially stated by Santos. Hence, it’s unlikely that Neymar will be fit to play in the warm-up games against Panama and Egypt, on May 31 and June 5, respectively.
Brazil begin their World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13. Neymar, who is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has not featured for the national team since suffering an ACL tear on Oct. 2023 while on international duty.
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He was included in Brazil’s final 26-man roster for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico — marking his fourth World Cup appearance.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti had previously omitted Neymar from all his previous call-ups, repeatedly emphasizing that he would only select players at 100% physical capacity but the former Barcelona man will be at the tournament.
