The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced on Monday that forward Neymar will miss his team's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Argentina due to a leg muscle ailment.
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After experiencing soreness in the adductor area of his left thigh, the 29-year-old Neymar was ruled out of Tuesday's match in San Juan, Argentina.
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"Neymar Jr stated that he felt insecure about the scenario, and the technical commission opted to rest the player who will not travel with the team due to a lack of time to do additional exams," according to a CBF statement.
Meanwhile, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has reaffirmed that Lionel Messi will participate, dismissing worries over his fitness.
After missing the previous two games due to knee and hamstring injuries, the Paris Saint-Germain forward made a 14-minute cameo appearance off the bench in Argentina's 1-0 triumph over Uruguay on Friday.
"He was physically fit the other day, and in the end, we felt that the best thing for him to do was play a few minutes to get a feel for it, and he is confirmed to play tomorrow," Scaloni said.
With 34 points from 12 games, Brazil leads the 10-team South American zone standings, six points ahead of second-placed Argentina.
With a 1-0 triumph over Colombia in Sao Paulo on Thursday, the Selecao qualified for next year's World Cup in Qatar.
Also on Monday, England earned their place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a 10-0 away win over San Marino to finish first in Group I. Harry Kane scored his second hat trick in as many games and finished with four goals.
The top four teams in each group will advance to football's championship event, while the fifth-placed team will compete in an intercontinental playoff.