Neymar stayed behind in New Jersey on Friday as the rest of the Brazil squad travelled to Cleveland for Saturday’s friendly against Egypt, the last warmup before their World Cup opener. The number 10 is recovering from a grade two calf strain picked up during the preparation camp in Teresópolis on May 27. Coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed at a press conference that Neymar will undergo an MRI on Monday. “He’s doing a great job individually. If everything is alright, he’ll be able to train with the group next week,” Ancelotti said. The medical team had projected a two-to-three week recovery window when the injury was first diagnosed. A clean scan on Monday would put him back in group training with time to spare before Brazil’s tournament opener against Morocco on June 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Ancelotti has said he expects Neymar fit for that match, but added that if not, he would be ready for the second group game against Haiti on June 18. The decision not to send him to Cleveland was practical — no training is scheduled there, and a three-hour round trip was considered unnecessary load for a player in active recovery. He will continue physiotherapy and conditioning work while the squad plays. Also Read | Can Brazil’s first foreign coach Carlo Ancelotti bring back glory days? In Cleveland, about 50 fans greeted the arriving delegation at the hotel. Most players went straight inside, but Endrick, Raphinha, Casemiro, Marquinhos, Matheus Cunha, Fabinho and Danilo stopped to sign shirts and take selfies. Casemiro, speaking to reporters earlier, captured the mood in camp: “The doctor has made it clear his recovery is progressing day by day. We’re all eagerly awaiting his return.” Brazil face Egypt at Huntington Field on Saturday at 7pm Brasilia time before returning to New Jersey immediately after. On the sidelines, Neymar remained unbothered by outside noise. When a friend flagged that France’s Michael Olise had said he couldn’t name the best Brazilian player, Neymar’s response was short: “I saw that. It’s part of the game.”
Neymar skips Egypt friendly as MRI to decide World Cup fate
