Neymar ruled out of Brazil’s clash with Argentina tonight.
Because of a leg muscle injury, Brazil star Neymar will miss his team’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Argentina, according to Xinhua, citing the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
After experiencing soreness in the adductor area of his left thigh, the 29-year-old was ruled out of Tuesday’s match in San Juan, Argentina.
“Neymar Jr said he felt insecure about the situation and, as there is not enough time to carry out complementary exams, the technical commission decided to rest the player who will not travel with the team,” a CBF statement read.
Meanwhile, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has reaffirmed that Lionel Messi will participate, dismissing worries over his fitness.
After missing the previous two games due to knee and hamstring injuries, the Paris Saint-Germain forward made a 14-minute cameo appearance off the bench in Argentina’s 1-0 triumph over Uruguay on Friday.
“He was physically fit the other day and in the end, we decided that the best thing was for him to play a few minutes so that he could get a feel for it and he is confirmed to play tomorrow,” Scaloni told reporters.
With 34 points from 12 games, Brazil leads the 10-team South American zone rankings, six points ahead of Argentina in second place.
With a 1-0 triumph over Colombia in Sao Paulo on Thursday, the Selecao qualified for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The top four teams in the group will qualify for Qatar’s showpiece automatically, while the fifth-placed club will compete in an intercontinental playoff.
