Commentators discuss Neymar’s ideal World Cup call-up for the national team.
Chelsea forward Estêvão will not be part of the upcoming World Cup. The 19-year-old was left out of the 55-player preliminary list submitted by manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Earlier, Ge had reported this was the likely outcome, as the player has been unable to recover in time from a recent muscle injury in his right thigh.
Estêvão sustained the injury on April 18 during Chelsea’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester United, with Matheus Cunha scoring the only goal. The incident occurred in the 12th minute of the first half when he capitalized on a mistake by Shaw, sprinted down the right flank, entered the box, and shot weakly toward goal. However, during the burst of speed, the Brazilian planted his foot awkwardly on the pitch and fell soon after, clearly in pain. He received on-field treatment and was eventually substituted.
The former Palmeiras player decided against surgery and traveled to Brazil for conservative treatment, hoping to be fit for the World Cup. Nevertheless, he ended up missing the preliminary list sent by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to FIFA.
This season, Estêvão made 36 appearances for Chelsea, scoring eight goals and providing three assists. He had been one of Brazil’s standout performers, leading the team in goals under Ancelotti with five.
**How does the preliminary list work?**
Submitting the list is part of the protocol required by FIFA for the tournament. All 55 players are registered for the World Cup, but only 26 can make the final squad. Teams have until the opening day of the competition, June 11, to make any necessary changes among these players. After the tournament kicks off, substitutions are only allowed 24 hours before a team’s first match if an injury is confirmed by a medical report. Thereafter, the only exception is for goalkeepers, also due to proven physical issues.
The final World Cup squad will be announced next Monday, June 18, at 5 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Museu do Amanhã in Rio de Janeiro. The selected players will report on June 27 at Granja Comary in Teresópolis, except for those involved in the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
Brazil’s World Cup debut is scheduled for June 13 against Morocco in New Jersey. Before that, the team will play friendlies against Panama on May 31 at the Maracanã and against Egypt on June 6 in Cleveland.