- Brazilian footballer Neymar has sustained a grade two muscle tear in his calf, confirmed by medical scans, which is expected to sideline him for two to three weeks.
- This injury means the 34-year-old Santos forward will miss Brazil’s upcoming warm-up friendlies against Panama and Egypt.
- Neymar now faces a critical race against time to regain fitness for Brazil's opening World Cup group match against Morocco on 13 June.
- The diagnosis was provided by Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lasmar after initial assessments ruled out a simpler issue, following an injury sustained 11 days prior.
- The prolific attacker, who has a history of injury issues, is hoping to appear in his fourth World Cup, and his absence would be a significant blow to Brazil's chances.
IN FULL