Brazil forward Neymar will not travel with the squad for Friday’s World Cup group match against Haiti. The Brazilian football association confirmed the decision as the star continues recovering from a calf injury. Consequently, he will remain in New Jersey to complete the final stage of rehabilitation.
Recovery Progress Continues
The football association said Neymar will use facilities at The Ridge hotel and Columbia Park training centre. Officials believe the available resources will support his recovery before returning to competitive action. However, the federation has not confirmed a possible return date.
On Wednesday, Neymar completed warm-up drills separately before joining teammates for limited training exercises. Previously, he had focused on indoor rehabilitation alongside physiotherapists and fitness coaches. Therefore, Brazil’s medical staff continues taking a cautious approach to his recovery.
Brazil Awaits Star Forward’s Return
The 34-year-old injured his right calf during Santos’ 3-0 defeat against Coritiba last month. The setback marked another injury in a difficult period for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward. Moreover, Neymar has not represented Brazil in almost three years.
Brazil opened their World Cup campaign with a draw against Morocco and collected one point. Meanwhile, Haiti sit at the bottom of the group after losing their opening match against Scotland.
Nevertheless, Brazil hopes to secure its first tournament victory despite Neymar’s continued absence. The coaching staff expects other attacking players to shoulder greater responsibility against Haiti.
