Brazil star Neymar ruled out of Copa America 2024 Due to Injury
Neymar, Brazil’s top scorer, has been declared unfit for the Upcoming football tournament of Copa America 2024 by medical professionals. The confirmation came in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 20), following his absence from international matches in October due to a knee injury. The surgery he underwent means he will be out of action for at least 10 months, forcing him to miss the upcoming continental tournament in the USA (special edition). As a result of the injury, Neymar will also be unable to participate in crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March 2024.
Neymar’s absence confirmed by doctors
It is too early to recover sooner. There is no point in taking unnecessary risks and skipping steps. “We expect him to be ready to return to Europe in August of 2024,” Rodrigo Lasmar, Brazil’s football team doctor, told Brazilian newspaper Rede 98.
“We need to be patient. Talking about a return before nine months is premature, this is a global concept for knee ligament surgeries recovery. It is very important to respect the biological time, the time the body takes to reconstruct that ligament.”
“If we follow those steps and after a long recovery, the expectation is that he can perform again at a high level,” Lasmar further added.
In the absence of Neymar, players like Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo will take on scoring duties. As a result of Neymar’s departure from Paris Saint-Germain, days after Lionel Messi left the club for Inter Miami, Real Madrid’s duo will be the first choice in his absence. Neymar had a spectacular 2023.
On Oct. 17, Neymar suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during Brazil’s World Cup qualifying loss to Uruguay, before undergoing surgery two weeks later.
A total of 79 goals have been scored by Neymar for the national team, surpassing Pele’s 77 goals.
