Neymar will not travel with the rest of the Brazil squad for their final pre-World Cup friendly against Egypt on Saturday.
The Santos forward, 34, has struggled with injuries this season and the Brazilian federation confirmed he would not be part of the squad heading to Cleveland, and would instead remain at the team’s training base in New Jersey to continue treatment on a calf problem.
Neymar’s inclusion in Brazil’s World Cup squad by coach Carlo Ancelotti was one of the major talking points when it was announced last month, with Chelsea forward João Pedro among those missing out.
Brazil start their bid for World Cup glory against Morocco in New Jersey on June 13 with further group games against Haiti and Scotland on June 19 and June 24.
– Brazil’s Ancelotti: No regrets taking injured Neymar to World Cup
Information from PA contributed to this report.
