Neymar left out of Brazil squad for March friendlies as World Cup closes in

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a] is ‌set to play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brazil-I9l9aqLq/france-QkGeVG1n/?mid=few9ITN7"]March 26 ‌in Boston[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/K8aznggo/"]Croatia[/a] on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brazil-I9l9aqLq/croatia-K8aznggo/?mid=A3LetXFE"]March 31 in Orlando[/a] ahead ‌of the tournament in the United States, Mexico ‌and Canada.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neymar/jNOPwl3h/"]Neymar[/a]'s absence comes after the 34-year-old missed a recent match for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/santos-laguna/EBPEFrRQ/"]Santos FC[/a] due to muscle fatigue, scuppering ‌plans for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ancelotti-carlo/nZQG5IgJ/"]Ancelotti[/a] to assess him in ⁠person during a ‌scouting trip ahead of the squad announcement.[/p][p]Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading ​scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious ​knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled to maintain a consistent run of matches since returning ⁠to Santos last ​year.[/p][p][b]"Neymar can be at the World Cup if he's 100%,"[/b] Ancelotti told reporters on Monday after announcing his squad. "I didn't call him up because he's not 100%. ‌Neymar has to be training and playing."[/p][embed guid="71af8223-596d-4ec9-9573-02d60123bdf4" url="https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2033613699877835031" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Italian manager, however, has called up 19-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/endrick/bXHrpEJ4/"]Endrick[/a], who returns to international action for the first time in almost a year, and handed a first call-up to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-thiago/MmJb4MzQ/"]Igor Thiago[/a] as Brazil look to refresh their attacking options.[/p][p]Brazil will play another friendly against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] in June before beginning their Group C World Cup ‌campaign against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a] on June 13.[/p][p]Brazil squad:[/p][p]Goalkeepers: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alisson/UZrQ3bwP/"]Alisson[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bento/0f0nZ3U7/"]​Bento[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/al-nassr/h4I89ZuE/"]Al-Nassr[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ederson/fqEsbNyA/"]Ederson[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fenerbahce/MsbmracL/"]Fenerbahce[/a])[/p][p]Defenders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wesley/hr7UuUyK/"]Wesley[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/as-roma/zVqqL0ma/"]AS Roma[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alex-sandro/hrkni8NN/"]Alex Sandro[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/flamengo-rj/WjxY29qB/"]Flamengo[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/santos-douglas/f91ESvlb/"]Douglas Santos[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zenit-st-petersburg/vsXou9m7/"]Zenit ‌St Petersburg[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marquinhos/UFfev8HP/"]Marquinhos[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris St Germain[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gabriel/tEcnVXMS/"]Gabriel Magalhaes[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bremer/INWVBb0R/"]Bremer[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juventus[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/danilo/KUjvgUhB/"]Danilo[/a] (Flamengo), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ibanez/tARMiREs/"]Ibanez[/a] (Al-Ahli), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leo-pereira/xY0cwI3L/"]Leo Pereira[/a] (Flamengo)[/p][p]Midfielders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrey-santos/vDrVnIrd/"]Andrey Santos[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/casemiro/Ukeq3c0b/"]Casemiro[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a]), Danilo ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/botafogo-rj/jXzWoWa5/"]Botafogo[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fabinho/nqldMgYf/"]Fabinho[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/al-ittihad/QmsyAjWh/"]Al-Ittihad[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gomes-gabriel/OYlVjZg3/"]Gabriel Sara[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/galatasaray/riaqqurF/"]Galatasaray[/a])[/p][p]Forwards: Endrick ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lyon/2akflumR/"]Olympique Lyonnais[/a]), Igor Thiago (Brentford), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luiz-henrique/Op0yfwBb/"]Luiz Henrique[/a] (Zenit St Petersburg), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rayan/CSiH3dM4/"]Rayan[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-pedro/CAmJERl2/"]Joao Pedro[/a] (Chelsea), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinelli/dITe5M88/"]Gabriel ⁠Martinelli[/a] (Arsenal), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/matheus-cunha/bq5QzRdb/"]Matheus Cunha[/a] (Manchester United), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raphinha/xtBsDPam/"]⁠Raphinha[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vinicius-junior/CbwQ4Mws/"]Vinicius Jr[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a])[/p]