Neymar is available to play in Brazil’s third World Cup group match against Scotland, but coach Carlo Ancelotti didn’t say if he would. After nearly three years away from the national team, the forward, who is 34 years old, was recalled by the Italians for the World Cup. However, due to a calf injury, he will not be able to participate in the tournament. During the World Cup, the Reuters Inside Track newsletter is your go-to resource. Sign up here.
On Tuesday, Ancelotti informed reporters, “Neymar is available.” “He worked this week, and he might be available for the game. We are overjoyed that he has returned due to his obvious ability to assist the team given his quality. “I’ve really got to know him well. He has worked very seriously, trying to recover as quickly as possible.
“I’m extremely content with him. He brings experience, knowledge of the game, and assistance to the younger players even if he does not play. He is doing very well.”
Asked how much of the match Neymar could play, Ancelotti joked: “He can play 90 minutes — walking. No, he is fine; he worked hard and trained well. With a win over the Scots, Brazil, who drew 1-1 with Morocco and beat Haiti 3-0 in their first two Group C matches, will advance to the Round of 32, and Ancelotti said he thought a good performance was coming. “Obviously we have a very big commitment, representing this shirt in the World Cup,” he said.
“We are confident that the third match will be the best,” she said. “I think the first match was not the best.” Advertisement Continue scrolling NEEDED RAPHINHA REPLACEMENT Additionally, Ancelotti must find a replacement for Raphinha, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury; however, he has once more declined to reveal who will start in his place. With a win and a loss, Scotland will almost certainly be competing for a spot among the eight teams that will advance to the next round from third place in their groups, but Ancelotti was prepared for a difficult game. The 67-year-old added, “Scotland has quality.” “They are fighters with excellent organization. Advertisement Continue scrolling “(Scott) McTominay and (John) McGinn are experienced players who are used to this kind of game.
As a result, the game will be challenging as usual. I think easy games in the World Cup finished a long time ago. Therefore, we are prepared for a challenging match.” On Tuesday, Brazil’s flight from their New Jersey base to Miami was delayed, putting off Ancelotti’s press conference. However, the Italian coach insisted that he would not let the delay detract from his enjoyment of his first World Cup as a coach. Before today everything was perfect. Today we had a small problem, but that can happen,” he said.
“I think we have the quality and the confidence for this to be a good World Cup for us. In football, anything can happen but in any case, it will be a very beautiful experience — even if I had to do a press conference at nine o’clock at night.”
