Brazilian club Santos have allayed fears regarding the fitness of star player Neymar ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and are hopeful that the veteran forward will recover in time to participate in the tournament.
The 34-year-old reported to Brazil’s training camp earlier this week, where further medical tests revealed a grade two muscle strain in his right calf.
Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Thursday that Neymar would likely be out of action for at least two weeks, casting doubt on his availability for Brazil’s opening World Cup match against Morocco on June 13.
The injury will also rule Neymar out of Brazil’s pre-World Cup friendlies against Panama and Egypt.
Neymar suffered the injury during Santos’ 2-1 defeat to Coritiba on May 17, just a day before newly appointed Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti announced his final squad for the tournament.
Santos had initially diagnosed the problem as calf edema and believed the forward would be fit for international duty.
However, in response to speculation over how Neymar’s fitness had been handled, Santos issued an official statement defending the club’s medical process and insisting that full reports had already been shared with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
The club said the two-week period started on the 17th and ends this Sunday, by which time the player is expected to be fit to return to training.
“It should always be remembered that these are estimates that vary from person to person and depend on the needs of the team and the importance of the matches.
Santos also said that their medical staff has been in constant contact with the staff of the Brazil national team during the recovery process.
“The physiotherapy team of the Brazilian national team also has professionals from Santos FC who have been working with Neymar Jr. for over 10 years and throughout this entire recovery process,” the statement said.
“The club’s medical department is in agreement with the treatment schedule defined by the CBF’s medical team. “The professionals of Santos FC know the player’s capacity for recovery and are confident that Neymar will be ready to play the World Cup.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top goalscorer, hasn’t played for the nation since an ACL injury in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023.
Despite injury concerns, the forward has been included in Brazil’s final 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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