Brazil’s record goal-scorer Neymar has been officially ruled out of the 2024 Copa America after the doctors confirmed of his absence on Wednesday (Dec 20) statement. Neymar, who was injured during the international break in October, underwent knee surgery which will see the Al-Hilal star miss at least 10 months of action. This will see the Brazil star miss the continental showpiece of South America which will be held in the USA (special edition). The injury also forced Neymar to miss important FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March 2024.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Doctors confirm Neymar’s absence

“It’s too early. There’s no point in skipping steps to recover sooner and taking unnecessary risks. Our expectation is that he will be prepared to return at the start of the 2024 season in Europe, which is August,” Rodrigo Lasmar, Brazil football team doctor told Brazil’s Rede 98.

ALSO READ | Ligue 1: Kylian Mbappe scores twice as Paris Saint-Germain finish year on top

“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.

Neymar’s injury will be a big blow for Brazil which will see players like Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo take the scoring duties. The Real Madrid duo will be the first choice in the former Barcelona man’s absence who had an eventful 2023. Neymar left Paris Saint-Germain in June, days after Lionel Messi left the club for Inter Miami.

He was expected to play a big role in Al-Hilal’s Champions League campaign, however, Neymar suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during his country’s World Cup qualifying loss to Uruguay on Oct. 17, before undergoing surgery two weeks later.

Neymar is currently the leading goal scorer for the national team and has 79 goals, having recently surpassed the tally of 77 goals from great Pele.

You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.