EL ALTO, Bolivia: Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said Neymar’s physical condition will be crucial for his inclusion in the national team for next year’s World Cup, following the 33-year-old forward’s omission from recent qualifiers.
Ancelotti left Neymar out of his 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia, citing a minor leg muscle injury. However, Neymar later said his exclusion was for technical reasons.
The former Barcelona and Paris St. Germain player has not donned the famous yellow jersey since October 2023, when he suffered serious knee ligament injuries that have plagued his comeback attempts.
“We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent,” Ancelotti told ESPN Brasil on Friday.
“In modern football, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition. If he is in his best physical condition, he will have no problems being in the national team.
“Everyone wants Neymar in the national team in good physical condition. I spoke with him and I said, ‘You have time to prepare in the best way to be there and help the team try to do their best in the World Cup’.”
Neymar has shown flashes of brilliance since returning to his boyhood club, Santos, from Saudi side Al-Hilal.
However, his struggles were laid bare last month when he left the pitch in tears following Santos’ crushing 6-0 defeat by Vasco da Gama.
Ancelotti said he sees Neymar playing centrally, either as an attacking midfielder or striker.
“I spoke with him ... Everything is clear, the idea remains the same,” Ancelotti said.
“He can’t play on the outside because modern football needs forward who have physical quality, it’s very important. He can play as an attacking midfielder without problems.”
Brazil, who have already qualified for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, will next be in action when they face South Korea in a friendly match in Seoul on October 10.
Neymar won’t have problems securing Brazil WC spot if in top shape, says Ancelotti
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Neymar won’t have problems securing Brazil WC spot if in top shape, says Ancelotti
- Ancelotti left Neymar out of his 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia, citing a minor leg muscle injury. However, Neymar later said it was for technical reasons
Medvedev to face Griekspoor in bid for second Dubai title
- Former world No. 1 Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinal
- Despite an injury, unseeded Dutchman Griekspoor beat 5th-seed Andrey Rublev in the other semifinal
DUBAI: Daniil Medvedev reached the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Friday and will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor as the Russian attempts to achieve something that has eluded him throughout his stellar career — winning the same tournament twice.
Former world number one Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 in an 83-minute semifinal, setting up a title clash that could see him claim a second Dubai crown to go with his 2023 triumph.
Medvedev, who has won 22 titles at 22 different tournaments, arrived in Dubai with a point to prove after early exits in Rotterdam and Doha.
However, the third seed has been in scintillating form in Dubai, dispatching Shang Juncheng, Stan Wawrinka, Jenson Brooksby and Auger-Aliassime — all in straight sets.
“It has been an amazing four matches, probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance,” said Medvedev.
“If I can put in an even better performance tomorrow, I will have my chances to win and that is what I am going to try to do.”
Griekspoor battles injury to beat Rublev
Standing in his way will be Griekspoor, who continued his giant-killing run by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5 7-6(6) in the other semifinal.
The Dutchman denied the 2022 champion, who also finished runner-up the following year, another shot at the Dubai trophy, saving two set points in the second-set tiebreak.
“No idea how I pulled off this one, I could barely walk at the end of the first set,” said Griekspoor, who took a medical timeout for treatment in the opening set.
“He served extremely well. I got very lucky in the tiebreak to win it in two sets ... I landed with a serve and felt something in my hamstring.
“If he had won the tiebreak, I don’t know if I would have continued.”
It marked three consecutive top-20 wins for Griekspoor for the first time in his career after he beat second seed Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik en route to the final.
Griekspoor, who has won three ATP 250 titles in his career, will be looking to add a first ATP 500 trophy to his collection when he faces Medvedev.
