Ancelotti: Neymar will recover as soon as possible.
The Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the Brazil national football team, expressed confidence today, Saturday, that Neymar, who is injured in the calf, will recover "as soon as possible" and that he is "doing well," while acknowledging that the 34-year-old star may miss the opening match of the World Cup against Morocco on June 13.
Ancelotti, who is 66 years old, said at a press conference: "We believe he will recover as soon as possible. He is working well and has a great motivation."
The announcement on Wednesday about Neymar's absence for two to three weeks has cast a shadow over the start of Brazil's training camp for the World Cup at the Granja Comary training center in Teresópolis, near Rio de Janeiro.
Neymar, who was called up by Ancelotti after months of discussion, will miss Brazil's friendly matches against Panama and Egypt. His participation in the opening match of the World Cup against Morocco in Group C, which also includes Haiti and Scotland, is uncertain.
The Italian coach said: "If he cannot recover before the first match, he will be ready for the second match."
Ancelotti added: "All players will participate in the match against Panama on Sunday at the Maracanã Stadium; it is an important match to say goodbye to our fans."
The Brazilian national team will travel to the United States on Monday. Their base and training camp will be in New Jersey.
The five-time world champions will play their final friendly match against Egypt on June 6 in Cleveland.
In his last match with the "Seleção" in October 2023, Neymar suffered a serious knee injury. Since then, he has faced numerous physical setbacks since returning to Santos, his childhood club, at the beginning of 2025, although he played a crucial role in avoiding relegation at the end of the last season.
Full article is available on Hesspress Sports.
Read full article at Hesspress SportsSource: Hesspress Sports
Headline and excerpt shown under fair use with full credit. All rights remain with the original publisher.
