Neymar will not travel with the Brazil squad for their Group C fixture against Haiti in Philadelphia on Friday, the Brazilian Football Association confirmed, as the forward continues his recovery from a calf injury sustained last month.
The 34-year-old will remain in New Jersey to complete the final stage of his rehabilitation, making use of the facilities at The Ridge hotel and the Columbia Park training centre. “He will remain in New Jersey to make the most of the final stage of his recovery, making use of the excellent facilities at The Ridge hotel and the Columbia Park training centre,” the CBF said in a statement.
Neymar had shown signs of progress on 17 June, joining his teammates for drills after warming up separately with the ball, but Brazil’s medical staff have continued to manage his return carefully. Prior to that session, he had been restricted to indoor work with physiotherapists and fitness coaches.
The injury, to his right calf, was sustained during Santos’ 3-0 defeat to Coritiba last month. It is the latest in a long series of physical setbacks for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has not featured for Brazil in almost three years.
Brazil head into the Haiti match on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Morocco in their tournament opener, leaving them with one point and work to do in Group C. Haiti sit bottom of the group after losing 1-0 to Scotland.
