Rio de Janeiro, Oct 3 (AP) Brazil winger Raphinha won't play in the next two rounds of South American World Cup qualifying because of injury.

The Brazilian soccer confederation said Monday that David Neres will replace the Barcelona star in the national team squad for games against Venezuela on October 12 and five days later at Uruguay.

Also Read | India vs Nepal, Asian Games 2023 Live Streaming Online: Watch Live Telecast of IND vs NEP Quarterfinal Cricket Match on TV With Time in IST.

Raphinha injured his right thigh in Barcelona's 1-0 win at Sevilla in the Spanish league on Friday. Local media said the player is expected to recover within three weeks.

Benfica forward Neres will join Brazil for the first time since September 2019. A few months earlier, he was one of the team's main players in the title-winning Copa America campaign, but hadn't returned since.

Also Read | Asian Games 2023 Indian Medal Winners List: Check Updated Names of Team India Athletes Who Have Won Medals at 19th Asiad in Hangzhou.

Brazil and Argentina co-lead the South American World Cup qualifying with two wins in two matches in the round-robin competition.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first with a 48-team format. South America's direct spots have grown from four to six, and the seventh place will go into an intercontinental playoff for another berth to play in the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. AP

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)