Carlo Ancelotti stands firm on Neymar's selection

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Neymar will remain in his FIFA World Cup squad despite the forward's ongoing injury concerns, insisting he has no intention of making any changes to his selected 26-man group.

Neymar has been sidelined since 17 May with a right calf problem and has not played for Brazil since suffering an ACL injury in October 2023.

Although the forward was included in Ancelotti's World Cup squad last week, further medical examinations after joining the national team revealed a grade-two muscle strain, ruling him out for another two to three weeks.

When asked whether he would still have selected Neymar had he known the true extent of the injury, Ancelotti responded with a light-hearted remark.

"If my grandad had wheels, he'd be a car," he said. "Since I decided on the squad, Neymar was in the 26."

The Italian explained that the Brazilian Football Confederation assumed responsibility for Neymar's medical assessment after the squad announcement had already been made.

Despite the setback, Ancelotti remains confident that Neymar will play a role during the tournament.

While the 33-year-old may miss Brazil's opening Group Stage fixture against Morocco on 13 June, the coach expects him to return shortly afterwards.

"We thought he might be fit for the first World Cup match," Ancelotti said.

"If he's not fit for the first match, he'll be fit for the second. So we have no doubt about it.

"I'm not going to make any changes. The 26 players selected are the ones who will play in the World Cup."

Brazil will also face Haiti on 18 June and Scotland on 23 June in the group stage.