Just start an interview with Carlo Ancelotti and the topic will come up sooner or later. Since taking over the Brazilian team in May last year, the coach has been persistently questioned about Neymar, who to date has not played under the Italian’s command and remains open to doubt about his presence in this year’s World Cup.
The answer could finally begin to be given this Monday (16), when Ancelotti will announce the last squad for friendlies before the final list for the World Cup.
There are open disputes in practically all positions, especially in attack, the sector in which Neymar tries to fit. The friendlies against France and Croatia, on March 26th and 31st, will be decisive for candidates to join the Brazilian delegation.
Santos’ number 10 recently had the chance to gain the coach’s trust, but was unable to perform against Mirassol, on the 10th, when Ancelotti went to the Campos Maia stadium, in the interior of São Paulo, precisely to observe him. The technical committee of the black and white team informed that the player was removed from the match due to muscle wastage.
Even though it was previously aware of the athlete’s absence, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) maintained its plans and took the coach to Mirassol.
Neymar had 12 days to prepare for the game, but, in several training sessions, he only did physical work and did not participate in tactical activities. Only the day before the match did he return to his normal routine. Still, he was spared. On social media, she vented about the new wave of criticism for not having performed in front of Ancelotti.
“If I play injured, as they said last year, I’m wrong. If I think only about myself, I’m wrong. If I spare myself, I’m wrong. If I play with pain or something that could make it worse, I’m wrong. It’s complicated, huh? Very difficult to get it right, man. Very difficult, very difficult to please everyone”, he complained.
Without the number 10, the one who stood out was Gabigol, with two goals in eight minutes, avoiding Santos’ defeat in the match, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Neymar has not played for the national team since October 2023, when he was injured in the match against Uruguay, in the qualifiers. On that occasion, he suffered one of the most serious injuries of his career, with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He spent almost a year without playing.
Since returning to Santos at the beginning of last year, he has suffered again with physical problems, which also prevented him from wearing the Brazilian team’s shirt again.
During this period, other attackers stood out and increased competition in the sector. In total, eight players should be called up to the offensive front in the World Cup.
At least four names are guaranteed: Estevão, Vinicius Junior, Matheus Cunha and Raphinha. Rodrygo is another who would certainly be on the list, but he suffered a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament and in the lateral meniscus in his right knee, an injury that took him out of the World Cup.
João Pedro and Gabriel Martinelli also appear with vacancies well underway. As a result, a long list of athletes — including Endrick, Igor Jesus, Kaio Jorge, Richarlison and Neymar himself — compete for the two remaining places in the offensive sector.
If there are plenty of options in attack, the flanks remain a headache for Ancelotti. Vanderson and Caio Henrique, both from Monaco and seen as important alternatives for positions lacking in the national team, will not be able to be called up because they suffered injuries.
The problem, however, is not new. Throughout the entire cycle, neither the right nor the left had owners under the Italian’s command. On the left, Caio Henrique was the most used, with four matches, ahead of competitors such as Alex Sandro, Douglas Santos and Carlos Augusto. On the right, Wesley leads in the number of appearances, with three, driven by his good form at Roma, where he has even played as a midfielder and on the left side — it was in this way, in fact, that he scored a beautiful goal at the weekend, against Juventus.
Before getting injured, Vanderson was another name highly evaluated by the coaching staff. Paulo Henrique took advantage of the opportunities he had in the national team, but lost strength after the drop in performance at Vasco. In total, Ancelotti has already called up ten different full-backs, a portrait of a dispute that is still open and a sector that remains undefined on the eve of the final list.
