Carlo Ancelotti has submitted provisional list to Fifa featuring the Santos star but not injured Estevao Willian
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has submitted a provisional 55-man squad to Fifa ahead of this summer’s World Cup, which at least gives some early indications of his selection plans.
Neymar has been included in the long list, although according to reports from Brazilian outlet Globo, his presence is part of a pattern under Ancelotti in which he features in provisional squads but is not guaranteed a place in the final 26-man team.
The Brazil manager wants to call up only players who are physically fit for the tournament. Neymar has struggled with injuries over the past three years.
Regarding the player, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said: “I had the chance to speak with Ancelotti, and he asked me: ‘Do you think Neymar should be called up?’ I said: ‘Look, Ancelotti, if he’s physically fit, he’s got the football. What I need to know is whether he actually wants it.’
“If he does, then he has to be professional. He can look at someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, he can look at [Lionel] Messi, and still go to the national team, because he’s not old yet. But he can’t expect to go just on his name. He has to earn it on the pitch.”
While Neymar has been included, Chelsea’s Estevao Willian has been left out of the provisional squad. The Chelsea-linked teenager has been dealing with injury issues and is now expected to miss the tournament after Brazil’s medical assessment ruled him unlikely to recover in time.
The decision means he will not be part of the final squad unless there is an unexpected change before the deadline.
His absence opens opportunities for other players, including Flamengo striker Pedro, who remains under consideration despite limited recent involvement at international level. In midfield, competition is intense, with players such as Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Fabinho, Danilo and Lucas Paqueta ahead of Chelsea’s Andrey Santos in the current hierarchy.
The final 26-man squad must be selected from the 55-man list submitted to Fifa. Changes are allowed until 11 June in case of injury, but the final travelling group will be fixed from that pool.
Brazil will announce their final squad on 18 May in Rio de Janeiro. The team will then gather for training at Granja Comary on May 27, with players involved in the Champions League final joining later.
Brazil begin their World Cup campaign against Morocco in New Jersey on 13 June but will play pre-tournament friendlies against Panama and Egypt.
