On September 2, during the second leg of the Brazilian Cup quarter-final between Santos and Palmeiras, Neymar sustained pain in his right leg after a challenge with an opposing player.
The forward was unable to continue and was subsequently substituted.
The setback marks Neymar’s third injury of the year. His previous injury occurred in May during a Brazilian League fixture, when he suffered an issue with his right calf. Santos FC initially described the injury as “slight edema.”
Despite the injury, Neymar was later included in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup, which is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, after joining the national team and undergoing a comprehensive medical assessment, the severity of the injury became clear. He was diagnosed with a grade 2 muscle strain in his right calf and was expected to spend between two and three weeks recovering.
The injury had a major impact on Neymar’s World Cup preparations and campaign. He missed all of Brazil’s pre-tournament training sessions as well as the team’s opening two group-stage games against Morocco and Haiti.
Neymar eventually returned to action in Brazil’s decisive final group-stage encounter against Scotland.