Brazil’s head coach, Dorival Junior, has announced his decision to drop superstar Neymar and rising talent Endrick from the national squad ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.
Neymar, currently with Al Hilal, only recently returned to the pitch on October 21 after a year-long recovery from a serious knee injury. Dorival explained that the decision not to include Neymar was to avoid any risk. “We decided not to bring him so as not to rush things,” he said on Friday. “He’s practically fully recovered, but he only had a few minutes, which weighed heavily on the decision.”
Endrick, the 17-year-old Real Madrid sensation, has also been excluded from the lineup. The young forward has struggled for game time, logging just 107 minutes for the La Liga giants and sitting out the last four matches.
Neymar last appeared for Brazil on October 17, 2023, when he sustained his knee injury. Fans of the Selecao will be hoping to see both stars return to the field in the near future, but for now, the team will focus on qualifying without them.
