Barcelona defender Edmilson has pulled out of champions Brazil's World Cup squad due to an injury to his right knee, team doctor Jose Luis Runco said on Thursday.

Sao Paulo's Mineiro, 30, will come in to the squad after a scan showed Edmilson had a torn meniscus.

Brazil's soccer federation said the player had been experiencing pain and movement difficulty in the joint.

"He had a rupture on the lateral side of the meniscus of the right knee, it's an injury that makes him unfit to compete," Runco told a news conference.

Edmilson made headlines in Brazil this week after exchanging rough tackles with striker Adriano in practice.

Mineiro is from the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. The highlight of his career was scoring the winning goal for Sao Paulo against Liverpool in the FIFA World Club Championship final in Japan last year.

With Sao Paulo, he also won the Paulista title and the Libertadores Cup.

Brazil launch their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Berlin on June 13. Their other Group F opponents are Australia and Japan.