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Ancelotti is in the eye of the storm
There is great chaos around Neymar Jr., days before the start of the camp of the Brazilian national team for the 2026 World Cup. Despite some attempts by the Brazilian press to calm things down, the number 10 is injured and will not play any more games for Santos. He will arrive at training camp starting May 27 with Granya Kumari in a physical condition that prevents him from training at the same pace as his teammates.
Neymar was injured in Santos’ humiliating 3-0 defeat to Curitiba in the Brazilian league last Sunday as he was on the bench receiving treatment for right calf pain.
On Monday morning, at the request of the Brazilian Football Confederation, the forward underwent visual examinations, which revealed the presence of five millimeters of swelling and the injury was classified as moderate.
But the diagnosis did not affect the decision of “Seleção” coach Carlo Ancelotti, who responded to the wishes of senior figures in the dressing room and invited him to participate in the World Championship for the fourth time.
The No.10 will be out for at least 10 days after missing Wednesday’s Copa Sudamericana match, which ended in a 2-2 draw with San Lorenzo. He will also miss this week’s league match against Gremio and it is widely believed that he will also miss next Tuesday’s match against Deportivo Cuenca.
The Brazilian federation avoids answering the questions, stressing that it will not make any comments until the player joins the national team.
The head of “Santos” medical services Rodrigo Zugib said. “Neymar has a slight calf injury and swelling. In the program, based on his progress, he will be allowed to join the Brazilian Football Confederation in good standing next week.”
In turn, “Santos” coach Koka refused to comment on the condition of the star of his team, saying. “It’s difficult to talk about it because everything about his condition is complicated. We have to be careful.”
Neymar’s presence at the World Cup has caused a sharp divide at the Brazilian giants, with the Brazilian press criticizing Ancelotti for sacrificing Joao Pedro, who scored 20 goals in his first season at Chelsea, and the Italian manager is widely believed to have applied a double standard and granted the star player’s wish.
Neymar is believed to be unlikely to feature in Sunday’s friendly against Panama at the Maracana Stadium on May 31, which will be a farewell for fans before he leaves for the US.
Furthermore, many sports analysts claim that Ancelotti and the Brazilian federation have put pressure on Neymar to join the national team and that he could end up being ruled out, which could open the door for Flamengo’s Joao Pedro and Pedro to join the Celessa.
