Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti remains optimistic about Neymar‘s ability to fully recover and compete in the FIFA World Cup.
At 34, Neymar is aiming for his fourth World Cup appearance this summer, but injuries have kept him off the field for Brazil since October 2023.
In an interview with L’Equipe, Ancelotti stated, “He is capable of getting back to 100%.”
“He is under evaluation by the CBF [Brazil’s Football Confederation] and me, and he has two months left to demonstrate that he can play in the upcoming World Cup.”
The former Paris Saint-Germain standout is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, but he has not been included in any of Ancelotti’s lineups since the coach took the reins in June.
Ancelotti emphasized, “I’ve mentioned this numerous times, and it’s clear: I will select players who are physically fit.”
Calls for Neymar’s inclusion in the national team are growing, especially after fans chanted his name during Brazil’s 2-1 loss to France in a recent warm-up match.
Neymar underwent minor surgery on his left knee on December 22 and had an additional procedure earlier this month during the international break to ensure he would be “ready to go” ahead of the World Cup in June.
Ancelotti noted, “After his knee injury in December, Neymar has shown positive recovery.”
Although Neymar missed the last two matches, he played the entire 90 minutes in Santos’s 1-0 league victory over Atletico Mineiro on Saturday.
Santos coach Cuca stated, “Neymar is improving with every game.” Cuca added, “He has been putting in extra training. His ball movement has significantly improved, and he is likely to keep getting better. It’s a risk to play him for a full 90 minutes, but we’ll see how he handles it, and we plan to work towards him being ready for Tuesday.”
“We are thrilled to see him enjoying the game again,” he concluded.