Carlo Ancelotti's Roadmap for Neymar's Return to Training

Carlo Ancelotti has laid out a hard, clinical roadmap for Neymar’s return, making it clear that reputation will not shortcut medical protocol.

The Selecao coach confirmed that the forward remains in an individual phase of his recovery and will only be cleared for full-contact training after passing a key scan in the coming days. The message was firm: no MRI, no team sessions.

“I think his situation is very clear… (Neymar) is doing excellent individual work. After the weekend, he will undergo an MRI, and then, if everything goes well, he can train with the squad next week,” Ancelotti said, outlining the step-by-step plan.

No hint of improvisation. Neymar runs, works, waits. The machine of modern football medicine decides the rest.

A Final Friendly, A Tactical Lab

While Neymar counts down to that decisive exam, Ancelotti is using his final exhibition match as a tactical workshop. The long-favoured four-man frontline, so often the default setting for Brazil’s attacking riches, is no longer untouchable.

This time, the coach is ripping up the comfort blanket.

He has handed starting spots to Lucas Paqueta and Igor Thiago, not as a token gesture, but as a deliberate shift towards new structures and fresh combinations in midfield and attack.

“I have this last game to run tests because, after this, testing becomes much more difficult,” Ancelotti admitted. One match, then the window closes. After that, every minute carries competitive weight.

Paqueta sits at the heart of this experiment. His profile offers something different from the rest of Brazil’s midfield options, and Ancelotti wants to see that difference on the pitch, not just on the tactics board.

“Paqueta is important to us because he brings different characteristics compared to our other midfielders. I want to test Paqueta, as well as Igor Thiago, to look for another option,” he said.

The long-established system with four players pushed high remains in the coach’s toolbox, tried and trusted. But Ancelotti knows tournaments are rarely won with a single idea. This last friendly becomes a dress rehearsal for Plan B — and maybe Plan C.

The MRI will tell Neymar when he can rejoin the group. Ancelotti’s final trial will tell him who truly belongs beside the superstar when that moment comes.