Brazil's Neymar to Wear No. 10 Amid Injury Recovery

The diagnosis was more serious than the swelling initially reported and is expected to keep him sidelined for two to three weeks.

“Neymar underwent all the medical tests, which concluded with an MRI scan revealing a grade-two calf injury, not just swelling. He is expected to be cleared in two to three weeks,” Lasmar said.

The timeline rules Neymar out of Brazil’s upcoming friendlies against Panama and Egypt while placing his availability for the World Cup opener against Morocco on June 13 in serious doubt.

Despite the setback, Brazil is not ready to move on from him. Ancelotti confirmed that Neymar will remain in the squad for now rather than being replaced. FIFA regulations allow teams to make injury replacements up to one day before their opening match, giving Brazil additional time to evaluate his recovery before making a final decision.

Brazil has also made another notable move. According to Fabrizio Romano, Neymar will retain the iconic No. 10 shirt regardless of his current injury status.

Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 international appearances and has been a central figure in virtually every major tournament campaign of the past decade. Even at this stage of his career, his experience and creativity are difficult to replace.

Brazil opens Group C against Morocco on June 13 at MetLife Stadium before facing Haiti on June 19 and Scotland on June 24. With less than two weeks remaining before kickoff, all eyes will be on Neymar’s recovery and whether he can get himself fit in time for his another World Cup appearance.