Brazil forward Neymar is facing a race against time to be fit for the start of the World Cup after suffering a calf injury, Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed on Thursday.

The 34-year-old Santos FC star is expected to spend between two and three weeks recovering after scans revealed a grade two muscle injury.

Lasmar said an MRI scan “identified a grade two muscle injury” and added that the medical team expects Neymar “to be available in two to three weeks”.

The injury rules Neymar out of Brazil’s pre-World Cup friendlies against Panama and Egypt and also puts his participation in the Selecao’s opening World Cup match against Morocco on June 13 in doubt.

Neymar joined Brazil’s squad at the team’s training base outside Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday but did not take part in the first training session.

His club manager, Cuca, had earlier described the problem as “a slight injury” after Neymar missed several recent matches for Santos.

The forward’s inclusion in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man Brazil squad had already raised questions because Neymar had not featured for the national team in nearly three years.

A combination of injuries and inconsistent form kept him out of recent Brazil squads, including March friendlies against France and Croatia, with Ancelotti previously expressing concerns over the player’s fitness.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his condition, Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances for the national side. The upcoming tournament is expected to be his fourth World Cup appearance.

His last match for Brazil came in 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.