Brazil forward Neymar resumed training yesterday after missing Selecao’s two group matches due to ankle injuries. Now, the PSG superstar is set to play for the five-time champions in their World Cup last-16 match against South Korea this afternoon at the 974 Stadium.
Neymar suffered the injury in Brazil’s opening 2-0 win against Serbia, which ruled him out of their 1-0 win over Switzerland and the shock defeat by Cameroon, one of a series of injury problems within the squad.
“Neymar is back from injury and will train this afternoon (yesterday) and if he trains well and sharp, he will play,” Coach Tite declared at the conference.
Neymar has suffered many issues with his right foot and underwent surgery four years ago for a fractured metatarsal.
The news of his return to the starting lineup came after Thiago Silva was asked during a news conference if Neymar would play and Tite took hold of the microphone and said “yes”.
It will be warmly welcomed in a squad beset by fitness woes with Danilo also hurting his ankle against Serbia and Alex Sandro suffering a hip injury against the Swiss.
Tite said Danilo was also fit to return against South Korea today but Sandro was out,
“He can’t play. Still recovering. Danilo and Neymar are back,” he said.
Tite stressed that Neymar’s return was with the full backing of the team’s medical staff and the player’s physical health was the priority.
“If he plays, it’s because he is in full health and ready to start, to play from the beginning and the entire game with no limitations,” Tite said. “My preference is always to play my best players from the start.”
Alex Telles and forward Gabriel Jesus, who sustained a knee injury against Cameroon, were ruled out for the rest of the tournament yesterday.
Tite was miffed at reports suggesting that Jesus played Cameroon injured last Friday: “I don’t like hearing lies out there, evil lies.
“At no time do we play for victory at the risk of a player’s peril.”
Tite continued: “The liar who’s out there – because that’s the name isn’t it, the haters, right?
“Go do something else and stop giving fake news. We are responsible, we are personally responsible, we are ethical and it would never have happened.
“I didn’t want this to happen, it’s a shame, we are very sorry for Gabriel.”
RESULTS
France 3-1 Poland
England 3–0 Senegal
MONDAY
Japan v Croatia (4pm)
Brazil v S’Korea (8pm)
TUESDAY
Morocco v Spain (4pm)
Portugal v Switzerland (8pm)
