Estevao Injury: Not in WC preliminary list

Estevao (hamstring) was left off Brazil's 55-man preliminary World Cup squad after medical staff from both the national team and Chelsea could not guarantee a full recovery in time for the tournament, according to ESPN.

Estevao had been considered a certainty for Brazil's squad before suffering the right thigh muscle injury during Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United on April 18, and the decision to omit him from the preliminary list effectively ends his hopes of a debut World Cup appearance this summer. The young forward was reportedly visibly dejected when arriving at his former club Palmeiras for treatment last week, fully aware that his participation was unlikely. He ends the season with two goals and two assists across 22 appearances (12 starts) since joining Chelsea from Palmeiras for last summer.