Injured, Neymar only watches from the bench Brazil’s debut against Morocco in the World Cup

The Brazilian team’s kickoff at the World Cup, which takes place this Saturday (13) against the Moroccan team, will have a curious scene on the edge of the pitch. Number 10 Neymar will be present alongside the substitutes, but Italian commander Carlo Ancelotti has already confirmed that the star will not enter the field under any circumstances during the ninety minutes, aiming to preserve the athlete for the next stages of the international tournament.

Currently defending the colors of Santos, the national idol faces an intense medical recovery routine due to a confirmed injury to the calf of his right leg. This physical setback kept the striker away from all ball activities alongside his teammates since May 27th, the date on which the delegation officially presented itself to begin the period of concentration.

During Saturday morning, when the main group was making final tactical adjustments and the standard pre-game warm-up, the star needed to focus exclusively on his rehabilitation. Following strict protocols established by Brazilian Football Confederation doctors, he spent the day focused on intensive physiotherapy sessions.

The player’s arrival at MetLife Stadium is scheduled to take place along with the rest of the squad, a few hours before kickoff against the Moroccan team. Although his name does not appear on the official list of those involved for the clash, the technical committee allowed him to remain in the technical area, where he will support the team wearing sneakers, mixed with the reserves and assistants.

This strategy of keeping the group leader close is not new behind the scenes of the green and yellow team. In a previous preparatory match against Panama, held at the Maracanã stadium, the striker also went down to the field to watch the warm-up up close and remained on the bench cheering with his teammates, despite being vetoed by the medical department.

Being the only definitive absence for coach Carlo Ancelotti in this first match of the competition, the tactical scheme has already been defined. The starting team that will seek the first three points in the World Cup will enter the field with the following lineup:

• Goalkeeper: Alisson.
• Defenders: Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Alex Sandro.
• Midfielders: Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá.
• Forwards: Matheus Cunha, Raphinha and Vinícius Jr.

Details about the live broadcast of the clash between Brazilians and Moroccans

Fans who want to follow every step of the duel between Brazil and Morocco this Saturday (13) will have accessible options from 7pm, according to the Brasília time zone. The video signal will be generated free of charge by the CazéTV channel, while subscribers to the Disney+ streaming service will also be able to tune in to the match without any type of extra charge in their packages.