Neymar Ruled Out of Brazil's Second World Cup Match Due to Calf Injury

Neymar has been ruled out of Brazil’s second World Cup match because of a lingering calf injury, the Brazilian football confederation has confirmed.

The forward will not travel with the rest of the squad for their Group C match against Haiti in Philadelphia, the federation said in a statement on Thursday.

“He will remain in New Jersey to optimise the final phase of his recovery process,” it added.

Neymar is the leading international goal scorer for Brazil with 79, eclipsing the great Pele’s 77 goals.

The Brazilian confederation said the 34-year-old will continue his recovery at the facilities of the team’s hotel.

Neymar was back on the training field for the first time on Tuesday, doing physical conditioning exercises. He rejoined his teammates for parts of the session on Wednesday, being applauded by them after getting on the field.

Neymar has yet to practice in full sessions with the rest of the team since reporting to Brazil’s squad while nursing an injured right leg.

Looking to play in his fourth World Cup, Neymar had undergone tests on his right calf on Monday to determine the progress of the injury that he sustained while playing with Santos on May 17.

The five-time World Cup champions began their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday.

There was widespread debate in Brazil over whether Neymar, whose first World Cup was on home soil in 2014, should have been called up for the tournament by coach Carlo Ancelotti.