Felipe Melo says Neymar focused on recovery, Brazil without him for Morocco World Cup opener

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·9. Juni 2026

Felipe Melo says Neymar focused on recovery, Brazil without him for Morocco World Cup opener

Neymar, the Santos forward and a leading figure for Brazil, is recovering from a calf injury. Speaking on SporTV, former Flamengo midfielder Felipe Melo said the No 10 is super focused on his comeback, adding, "Zero doubt that he will come back physically well."

The expectation is that Neymar will return to on-field training this week. However, he will not be fit to be available to head coach Carlo Ancelotti for the game against Morocco.

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That opens the door for Lucas Paquetá to start. In the final friendly before the World Cup debut, against Egypt, Flamengo’s No 20 was in the starting XI and impressed Ancelotti.

Without Neymar, and possibly with Paquetá, Brazil open their World Cup group campaign in the United States on Saturday 13.

Kick-off is at 19:00 Brasília time, with coverage on Rede Globo free-to-air, SporTV on pay TV, and CazéTV on YouTube.

Source: Coluna Do Fla