Neymar’s Monday MRI brought a small but important lift to Brazil’s plans: the scan showed good progress in his recovery from a second-degree muscle injury in his right calf, but he will still miss the World Cup opener against Morocco.
That is the update fans were looking for today, because Neymar’s fitness has been one of the first questions around Brazil’s campaign under Ancelotti. The forward was injured on 17 May while with Santos, and the CBF has kept the message steady since then: he is following the rehabilitation program as planned, with no rush to bring him back before he is ready. For a team opening a World Cup without one of its biggest names, every medical update matters.
The latest scan did not change the immediate reality. Brazil will debut against Morocco without Neymar, even if the improvement seen in the MRI keeps his path toward a return alive. The medical staff is increasing his workload gradually before authorizing him for match play, which means the next step is not a leap back into competition but a controlled move toward individual field work and then a full return only after he clears the checks the staff requires.
That caution is tied to the calendar as much as the injury. Brazil wants Neymar ready for the final group matches and especially for the round of 16, so the return target remains the second group match against Haiti on 20 June. If he is available then, that game would serve as a bridge toward the last group match against Scotland on 24 June. For now, the message is simple: the recovery is moving in the right direction, but Brazil will not pay for speed with a setback.
