Brazil forward Neymar will not travel with the squad for Friday’s World Cup Group C match against Haiti in Philadelphia as he continues to recover from a calf injury, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed as reported by Reuters on Thursday, June 18.
The decision underlines Brazil’s cautious approach with their biggest star, who is edging closer to a return but is not yet ready for competitive action.
“He will remain in New Jersey to make the most of the final stage of his recovery, making use of the excellent facilities at The Ridge hotel and the Columbia Park training centre,” the CBF said in a statement.
Neymar sustained the injury while playing for Santos in a 3-0 defeat to Coritiba on May 17, adding another chapter to a difficult run of physical setbacks that have limited his appearances in recent years.
POSITIVE SIGNS IN RECOVERY
Despite missing the Haiti game, Neymar’s recovery has gathered momentum this week.
The 34-year-old returned to the training pitch on Wednesday for the first time since suffering the injury, warming up separately before taking part in some drills with his Brazil teammates. He later resumed individual work on the sidelines as medical staff continued to closely monitor his progress.
A day earlier, Neymar had trained in the United States for the first time since joining the squad, although he remained away from the main group.
Until this week, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward had largely been restricted to indoor rehabilitation sessions with physiotherapists and fitness coaches at Brazil’s training base.
RETURN FOR THE KNOCKOUTS
Earlier reports from the Brazilian media as suggested on Reuters reckon the team’s medical staff are targeting a return during the knockout stages rather than risking Neymar in the remaining group matches.
The five-time world champions are keen to avoid any setback in the recovery of a player who remains central to their hopes of a deep run in the tournament.
Neymar has not played for Brazil in almost three years but remains the country’s all-time leading men’s scorer with 79 international goals.
BRAZIL SEEK FIRST WIN
Brazil began their World Cup campaign with a draw against Morocco and have one point from their opening match.
With Haiti bottom of Group C following their defeat to Scotland, Brazil will be expected to challenge for their first victory of the tournament even without Neymar.
For now, however, the focus remains on ensuring their talisman is fully fit for the latter stages of the competition, where his experience and creativity could prove decisive.
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