A few days ago, Brazil stopped to learn the list of players called up for the World Cup prepared by coach Carlo Ancelotti. The main question was whether Neymar would be among the chosen. Once confirmed that he will travel with the Canarinha, the doubt now is whether he will be able to play, at least the first matches. The national team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, confirmed this Thursday that the injury he suffers in one of his calves is more serious than previously thought and will require a recovery “of between two and three weeks,” which could compromise his participation at the start of the tournament. Brazil’s first match is against Morocco on June 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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What is certain is that he will not be in the Brazilian national team’s preparation friendlies, against Panama on May 31 and against Egypt on June 6. Now begins a race against time for him to be ready for the World Cup, which is about to start in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The technical committee will evaluate him day by day. All of Brazil will now be watching how Neymar’s calf evolves.
The true extent of the problem was revealed yesterday, May 27, the first day of the national team’s concentration in Teresópolis, in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro. While his 22 teammates began training behind closed doors on the grass, Neymar spent the day at a city clinic undergoing tests. The result was disclosed this morning by the national team doctor in a press conference without questions. “He underwent all medical exams, complementary tests, and we finished with an MRI that identified a grade two muscle injury in the calf, not just edema,” said Lasmar.
Neymar had been injured on May 17 in a Santos match against Coritiba. Initially, the first information released by his club pointed to a mild injury, an edema (swelling due to fluid accumulation in muscle tissues) of two millimeters that would be resolved in just ten days. The day after that scare, Ancelotti announced the famous list of call-ups in a grand spectacle, and Neymar was among the chosen.
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However, the tests carried out in Teresópolis provided different results from those Santos gave to the Brazilian Football Confederation, which has caused some discomfort. This week, when asked by the press about his calf, Neymar responded ironically: “Here it is, intact.” The jokes have given way to a climate of some concern in the national team.
Casemiro, the national team captain, welcomed the transparency to relieve pressure on the player and trusted in his speedy recovery. “Of course no player likes to be injured, but hopefully Neymar and all the players are healthy to play the matches, because we know we need all the players, everyone here is important,” he said just after the real extent of the injury became known.
After the intrigue about whether Neymar would go to the World Cup, Brazilians will now be watching if he arrives on time. There are 16 days left until Brazil’s debut against Morocco. Then, the national team plays against Haiti on June 19 in Philadelphia and against Scotland on June 24 in Miami.