Neymar will miss Santos' match against Mirassol in the Brazilian Serie A on Tuesday due to ongoing muscular fatigue, dealing another blow to the forward's hopes of returning to the Brazil national team before the World Cup. Santos stated the player's absence is a precautionary measure, but the timing is unfortunate as Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti organized a trip from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo to watch Neymar (34) play during the match. Sources related to the Brazilian Football Confederation and the national team's technical committee told Reuters that Neymar's absence on Tuesday was met with surprise and frustration from the confederation and Ancelotti, who had hoped to closely assess the number 10 player. Ancelotti had previously stated he would only select players who are fully fit and can meet Brazil's physical requirements. However, Ancelotti will attend Botafogo vs. Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro on the same day, tasking his assistants with monitoring the Corinthians match. Time appears to be running out for Neymar, as Brazil is set to announce its final World Cup squad in May, with the tournament finals in Canada, Mexico, and the US from June 11 to July 19. Neymar's absence on Tuesday could cost him a spot in the squad to be announced on March 16 in preparation for friendlies against France and Croatia on March 26 and 31, respectively. Neymar, Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 matches, has not played for his country since October 2023 when he suffered serious knee ligament injuries that hampered his return. Since Neymar's return to Santos, the club where he began his career, arriving from Saudi Arabia in January 2025, he has shown glimpses of his former level but has struggled to maintain his form in consecutive matches. Brazil's attacking options include several players in excellent physical condition, such as Vinicius Junior, Estevão, Raphinha, João Pedro, Gabriel Martinelli, Endrick, Igor Jesus, and Matheus Cunha. Ancelotti will continue his visits to avoid giving the impression that he came to see only Neymar, although this was the primary reason for his trip. Neymar is expected to be fit to play in the next match on Sunday against Corinthians at Vila Belmiro Stadium.
