Neymar’s knee injury would do damn him to watch the 2024 Copa América away to be played in the United States, according to the tough statements of the selection doctor
Neymar’s knee injury would do damn him to watch the 2024 Copa América away to be played in the United States, according to the tough statements of the selection doctor
Brazilian star Neymar will miss the 2024 Copa América, which will be played in the United States between June and July next, due to the serious left knee injury he suffered in October, Brazil’s team doctor said Tuesday.
“He’s not going to have time (to recover to play the tournament), it’s very early. It is not worth burning the stages to recover it sooner and risk unnecessary,” Rodrigo Lasmar said in an interview with Brazilian Rádio 98 fm.
Lasmar, who in early November operated on the ’10’ at a clinic in Belo Horizonte, in southeastern Brazil, said that the recovery should take at least nine months, so “the expectation” is that the attacker will return to the countryside only in August.
“We need to be patient. Talking about return before nine months is early, that’s the world concept for a ligament recovery,” he added.
Neymar, 31, suffered a broken cruciate ligament and meniscus of his left knee on October 17, during the 2-0 defeat of the ‘Seleo’ against Uruguay in Montevideo, for the fourth day of the South American elimination for the 2026 American World Cup.
The Saudi Al-Hilal player, whose career has been plagued by injuries, retired crying and on a stretcher from the pitch. The ailment, one of the most serious for a footballer, raised alarms about his future, although Lasmar assured that the historic scorer of the world’s pentachampions will be able to return at a high level.
“The expectation is that after that time he will be fully recovered, ready to play at a high level, with high performance, without any restrictions,” he said. The specialist said the recovery of the former Barcelona footballer from Spain and PSG of France is progressing “very well.”
Since the injury, ‘Ney’ has shared on social media images of his recovery, which he carries out in Brazil. “A month of crying and a lot of pain. I’m still ahead,” he wrote Tuesday on his Instagram account, alongside a video in which he is seen walking with crutches and complaining while an assistant makes movements in his leg.
Bad year for the ‘Selecao’
The loss of the ’10’ is a new blow for Brazil, which had a very bad year on and off the courts. The ‘Canarinha’ marches sixth in the South American qualifier, after spinning for the first time three consecutive defeats in the competition and losing the historic undefeated as a local to Argentina.
Brazil’s Neymar is injured today, in a match of the South American Eliminators for the 2026 World Cup between Uruguay and Brazil at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay. Photo: EFE
After the departure of Tite (2016-2022) after the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where she was eliminated in quarterfinals by Croatia, the Auriverde team did not have a new official coach until July, when the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) appointed Fernando Diniz for a year.
The Brazilian technician won the first Copa Libertadores del Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro in November, whose direction combines with that of the national team, something unusual and questioned. According to the plan of the now-departed CBF president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, Diniz would lead Brazil until Italian Carlo Ancelotti ended his commitment to Real Madrid. Then, he would take over the reins of the ‘Selecao’ for the 2024 Americas Cup, and towards the 2026 World Cup.
But many doubts weigh on the plan, while Diniz’s image has deteriorated, Ancelotti has not publicly acknowledged the deal and Rodrigues was removed from office earlier this month for a court mess.
This article has been translated from the original which first appeared in El Salvador