Rio de Janeiro, Jun 6 (IANS): Brazilian forward Neymar will miss this summer's Copa America after suffering an ankle injury in Brazil's 2-0 friendly win over Qatar
On Wednesday night, Neymar limped off the pitch in the 22nd minute of the match at the Mane Garrincha stadium after appearing to injure his right ankle in a tackle, reports Xinhua news agency.
The 27-year-old was later seen in distress while being evaluated by medical staff on the Brazil bench.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, Brazil's football governing body said that Neymar had ruptured a ligament in his ankle and would not recover in time to play in the Copa America.
The 2019 Copa America will be held in Brazil from June 14 to July 7. The host nation have been drawn in Group A alongside Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela.