BENGALURU:

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

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