The Brazil national team doctor has confirmed a major decision on the Selecao's all-time leading goalscorer Neymar amid his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
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In October, the 31-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay.
The injury came just weeks after he joined Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain.
Amid fears the former Barcelona winger will not be fit for the Copa America in June and July next year, Brazil's team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, has said Neymar will only return for the start of the 2024/25 season.
"It's too early," he told Brazil's Rede 98.
"There's no point in skipping steps to recover sooner and taking unnecessary risks. Our expectation is that he will be prepared to return at the start of the 2024 season in Europe, which is August.
"We need to be patient. Talking about a return before nine months is premature, this is a global concept for knee ligament surgeries recovery. It is very important to respect the biological time, the time the body takes to reconstruct that ligament.
"If we follow those steps and after a long recovery, the expectation is that he can perform again at a high level."
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Neymar has scored 79 goals in 128 matches for Brazil since his senior debut in 2010.
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