Neymar has been left out of the Brazil national team squad for the final friendlies before the World Cup roster is finalized. The Santos No.10 will not feature in matches against France and Croatia, though Carlo Ancelotti has not ruled the forward out of the tournament.
“Neymar can be at the World Cup if he is 100%. He needs to arrive in good physical condition. One thing is the final squad, another thing is these friendlies now. I need players who are fully fit,” Ancelotti explained when asked whether players omitted from this list still have a chance of making the tournament.
Brazil’s coaching staff is carefully monitoring Neymar’s fitness after his recent injury history. The priority is to have players capable of coping with the intensity of a World Cup campaign, which can require up to seven matches in just a few weeks.
The Santos forward has also seen limited minutes recently and was rested for the match against Mirassol, which Ancelotti attended in person. Without that opportunity to play, Neymar missed a chance to show he is back to full match fitness. According to the Italian coach, Neymar does not need to prove anything “technically” — only that he is fully fit physically.
