Overview
- Brazil's football federation (CBF) confirmed that Lucas Paquetá has a muscle injury at the back of his left thigh following the win over Japan and has been placed on an intensive rehabilitation plan.
- Paquetá was substituted at half-time against Japan after showing repeated discomfort and is now widely considered unlikely to feature in Brazil's upcoming round-of-16 match with Norway.
- Unspecified Brazilian reports say Paquetá could be sidelined through July 19, but the CBF gave no firm timetable and those longer-range estimates remain unconfirmed.
- Raphinha remains unavailable with his own thigh problem, while Neymar is reported fit again, leaving coach Carlo Ancelotti to rely more on available starters and substitutes such as Endrick.
- The loss of a regular starter in Paquetá increases pressure on Brazil's attacking depth and could force tactical changes that affect the team's short-term path through the knockout phase.