Brazil has selected young forward Endrick to take Neymar’s Jr place in their World Cup qualifying matches this month after Neymar suffered a muscle injury.
As per BBC Sports, Neymar was set to return to the national team after 17 months away due to a knee injury sustained against Uruguay in October 2023.
However the player has now faced another setback, making him unavailable for the upcoming matches against Colombia and Argentina.
He expressed on his Instagram account, "The return seemed so close, but unfortunately I won't be able to wear the most important jersey in the world for the moment.”
The 33-year-old added, "We had long conversations and everyone knows of my desire to return, but we agreed that it's best not to take any risks and prepare as best as possible to completely eradicate the injury."
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Coach Dorival Jr has also selected Flamengo defender Alex Sandro to replace Danilo and Olympique Lyonnais goalkeeper Lucas Perri to take the place of Manchester City’s Ederson in the squad.
Brazil ranked fifth in the CONMEBOL standings with 18 points from 12 matches.
The team will play against fourth-placed Colombia at home on March 21 and then travel to Argentina five days later.
The top six teams from the qualifiers will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup which will take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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