Ancelotti breaks silence on Neymar axe risk for Copa, Pedro on standby | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti spoke for the first time about the ‘Neymar case’

The main topic on sports shows in recent days is: will Neymar play in the World Cup? Injured, the Santos forward is out of the friendlies and is doubtful for the opener against Morocco. Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti assured that the player will not be cut.

— Before the squad announcement, we received a statement from Santos saying the player had a small issue, some swelling, so we let Santos handle the matter until the 27th. The player was called up because, for the coaching staff, he had to be called up, and then, on the 27th, the CBF became aware of Neymar’s problem and we took charge of Neymar’s issue. We believe he will recover as quickly as possible, he is working well, he is motivated — Ancelotti began.

— We think he can recover for the first World Cup match; if he cannot recover for the first match, he will recover for the second. So, we have no doubt that we will not replace anyone; the players chosen are these 26, and these 26 will play in the World Cup. By bad luck, Neymar had this small problem that does not allow him to train with the group, but he is working very well individually to return ready — he said firmly.

— We talked a little about everything, about his recovery. He understood his role in this World Cup. Every day he is doing well. He is working to recover as quickly as possible. He is in a good environment. He will be an important player in this environment. It is important for him to understand his role, and I believe he understood it very well — said the Italian.

A cold shower for Pedro?

Two players were waiting on Neymar’s situation, eyeing the possibility of a potential cut: João Pedro of Chelsea (ENG) and Pedro of Flamengo. The former even changed his vacation plans to stay fit. Meanwhile, the Rubro-Negro striker is still active and takes the field this Saturday (30) against Coritiba.

WHAT HAPPENED TO NEYMAR?

As highlighted by Ancelotti, Santos reported that Neymar only had swelling before the call-up. However, after tests, the CBF identified a calf injury that will keep the player off the pitch for up to three weeks. As a result, ‘Ney’ will not face Panama this Sunday (31), or Egypt on June 6, in friendlies.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.