Neymar’s return to Santos was meant to help him regain form and fitness, but it hasn’t quite worked out as planned for the 33-year-old.
The winger has picked up a fresh thigh injury that is set to rule him out until the end of October, meaning he is likely to miss out on Ancelotti’s next Brazil squad.
Despite his lack of form and fitness, Brazil legend Ronaldo has urged the Italian manager to take him to the World Cup, citing they don’t have another player quite like Neymar.
Speaking at an event to BolaVip, he said: "He's a key player for the Brazilian national team . We don't have another player like Neymar. And we hope he's 100% for the World Cup, because if he is, we'll definitely have better results than if he's not.”
He further added: "It's an exaggeration on the part of this minority who believe he's neglecting his physical recovery.
“Anyone who's played football understands perfectly how difficult it is to come back from an injury and regain rhythm and confidence. He's on time.
“The other day, I was playing tennis with Luisa Stefani, the São Paulo Open doubles champion, and she tore her cruciate ligament at the same time as Neymar. She still feels pain. It's a gradual process."