Brazil have been handed a major setback ahead of the FIFA World Cup after Neymar Jr suffered a fresh injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for up to three weeks.
Medical tests have confirmed that the Brazilian superstar sustained a calf injury, dealing a huge blow to Carlo Ancelotti’s preparations just weeks before the tournament gets underway.
According to reports, Neymar will now miss Brazil’s scheduled friendly matches before the World Cup and could also be unavailable for their opening fixture against Morocco.
The injury comes at a crucial stage for Brazil, with Neymar recently making his return to the national team setup after battling fitness concerns.
Initial fears surrounding the severity of the issue have now been confirmed following medical examinations, with the 34 year old expected to spend the coming weeks in recovery.
As a result, Neymar is set to miss Brazil’s warm up games against Panama and Egypt, fixtures that were expected to help him regain rhythm and match sharpness ahead of the competition.
His participation in Brazil’s first World Cup game against Morocco on June 13 now remains uncertain, with the medical staff closely monitoring his recovery process.
The timing of the injury will come as a concern for new Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, who had planned to build part of the squad around Neymar’s experience and attacking quality.
Brazil are expected to proceed cautiously with the forward in an effort to avoid aggravating the problem before the latter stages of the tournament.
For Neymar, the latest setback adds to an unfortunate run of fitness struggles in recent years, with injuries repeatedly interrupting key moments for both club and country.
Despite the concern, there remains cautious optimism within the Brazilian camp that the forward could still recover in time to feature during the early stages of the World Cup.
