Carlo Ancelotti fires World Cup warning to Neymar with Brazil boss admitting Santos star not guaranteed a place in next summer's tournament

Neymar was one of several household names to be left out of the Brazil squad for their most recent round of the World Cup qualifiers. While the head coach had explained that the attacker was overlooked due to fitness issues, the 33-year-old contradicted the coach's statement by claiming that he was left out due to technical issues.

Ancelotti has now warned Neymar that he could be left out of the final Selecao squad for the World Cup and his selection will entirely depend on his physical condition. The Italian coach also revealed the positions he would deploy the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star in.

Speaking to ESPN, the Italian coach said: "We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent. In modern football, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition. If he is in his best physical condition, he will have no problems being in the national team. Everyone wants Neymar in the national team in good physical condition. I spoke with him, and I said 'you have time to prepare in the best way to be there and help the team try to do their best in the World Cup.'"

He added: "I spoke with him. He came to the hotel before the game against Paraguay [in June] and we talked about it. [I would select him] as an attacking midfielder or striker. He has to play centrally, he can't play on the outside because modern football needs forwards who have physical quality, it's very important. He can play as an attacking midfielder without problems."

The superstar will be back in action for Santos this Sunday as the club face Atletico Mineiro in a Brazilian Serie A clash. He will hope to stay fit in the coming months and prove himself to his international manager.