Key Points
- Neymar will miss Brazil's World Cup match against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia
- He also sat out the 1-1 group-stage opener against Morocco
- He picked up a right calf injury playing for Santos on May 17
- He will stay in New Jersey rather than travel with the squad
The comeback story keeps stalling. Neymar will miss Brazil's second World Cup group match, against Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, as he continues to manage a calf injury — the same problem that already kept him out of the opening 1-1 draw with Morocco. The 34-year-old will not even travel with the squad, staying behind in New Jersey to continue his recovery while Brazil plays a second straight group game without its most famous player.
The injury
The right calf injury dates to May 17, picked up during Neymar's second spell at Santos before he joined up with the national team. He has not been ruled out of the tournament — Brazil's medical staff are reportedly targeting the knockout stages for his return, which would mean missing the Haiti match and the group finale against Scotland too. Rather than risk a still-healing calf, the staff have kept him at the team's New Jersey base to work through the final phase of rehab.
The bigger picture
Neymar's place in this squad was always a gamble. He made Brazil's 26-man roster on reputation and hope of fitness as much as current form, and two games in, the hope has not paid off. A player picked to be the centerpiece has instead been a question mark his team has had to plan around — and Brazil, to its credit, has so far navigated the group without him.
The read
This is the bind of building around a star past his physical prime: the name still moves the needle, but the body no longer guarantees the minutes. Brazil bet that a fit-enough Neymar would be worth more than a healthier alternative, and the first two matches have tested that bet without resolving it. If he returns and delivers a decisive moment, the gamble looks wise; if the calf keeps him watching, Brazil will have spent a roster spot on a story rather than a player. For now, the most-watched name in the squad is the one not on the field. The chapter closed weeks later, when Neymar retired from the national team after Brazil's round-of-16 exit to Norway.
Source: FOX Sports, Yahoo Sports
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