Brazil's Neymar ruled out of Copa América with ankle injury

The Brazil forward Neymar has been ruled out of the Copa América with an ankle ligament injury. The 27-year-old suffered the setback in the first half of the Seleção’s 2-0 friendly win over Qatar on Wednesday.

“After suffering a sprain in his right ankle during last Wednesday’s game against Qatar, Neymar was evaluated and subjected to tests that confirmed ligament rupture in the ankle,” a statement on the Brazilian football federation’s website said. “Due to the seriousness of the injury, Neymar will not have the physical conditions and sufficient recovery time to participate in the Copa América Brasil 2019.”

The Paris Saint-Germain star left the field at the Estadio Nacional visibly upset and was later seen leaving the ground on crutches. Neymar has picked up several injuries dating back to 2014, when he missed the World Cup semi-final against Germany with a back injury.

The former Barcelona forward also injured his metatarsal in the months leading up to the 2018 World Cup and missed the final months of the 2018-19 Ligue 1 season. Hosts Brazil kick off the Copa America on June 14 against Bolivia, with the final set to be played on July 7 at the Maracana in Rio.

Earlier this week Neymar was accused of raping a woman in a hotel in Paris last month, according to a police document in Brazil. The player’s father called the accusation by the unidentified woman “a setup” against his son.

The document, which was obtained by the Associated Press, says the alleged incident took place on 15 May at 8:20pm in an upmarket hotel in Paris. The police document says the woman went to police on Friday in São Paulo.

A statement issued by Neymar’s management on his website said the 27-year-old forward completely repudiated the allegations. “Although he was surprised by the news, the facts were already known to the player and his staff, considering that a few days ago he was the victim of an attempted extortion, practised by a lawyer from Sao Paulo who said he represented the interests of the alleged victim,” read the statement.

“The player’s lawyers were immediately notified and have since taken all appropriate steps. We completely repudiate the unjust accusations and, above all, the exposure in the press of an extremely negative situation. All evidence of attempted extortion and non-rape will be submitted to the police authorities in a timely manner.”