Will Neymar play at the Copa America? Latest on Brazil star's injury recovery before USA 2024 tournament
Brazilian superstar Neymar ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee back in October while playing for his national side in their 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The Al Hilal forward had only just completed a move to the Saudi Pro League from PSG when he suffered the injury and has yet to return to action.
With the Copa America tournament rapidly approaching, The Sporting News takes a look at whether it will be too soon for Neymar to compete for his national side.
Copa America 2024 schedule
Neymar is set to sit out the 2024 Copa America in the United States because of a significant knee injury sustained in October, as confirmed in December by Brazilian team physician Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar.
"It's too early," Lasmar said when asked if Neymar would be able to compete in the summer tournament.
"There's no point in skipping steps to recover sooner and taking unnecessary risks. Our expectation is that he will be prepared to return at the start of the 2024 season in Europe, which is August.
"We need to be patient. Talking about a return before nine months is premature, this is a global concept for knee-ligament surgeries recovery. It is very important to respect the biological time, the time the body takes to reconstruct that ligament.
"If we follow those steps and after a long recovery, the expectation is that he can perform again at a high level," he added.
Rodrigo Lasmar, Brazil’s team doctor, confirmed that Neymar will miss the 2024 Copa América
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