Brazilian superstar Neymar left a training session on Tuesday after just 15 minutes with an ankle injury, sparking concerns about the striker’s health going forward in the World Cup.
According to team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, Neymar left practice after first feeling soreness while he was jogging.
Injury Follows Foot Surgery
Any sign of an injury to Neymar would make news and have the potential to send Brazilian fans into a panic. But there are particular concerns with anything related to his right foot, as Neymar only recently came back to action after fracturing that foot in February, an injury that required surgery.
So when video emerged of Neymar limping away from the training session during a routine drill, there was immediate worry that it could somehow be related to the injury that had keep him out of the last few months of the season for Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Lasmar, however, this is a new injury that was suffered during Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Sunday. In that game, Neymar was fouled 10 times, more than any other player in a World Cup since 1998 and more than any Brazilian player since 1966. It was one of those fouls, Lasmar said, that led to the ankle pain.
Neymar had already skipped Monday training, and like the other players who played a full match on Sunday, was only supposed to go through some jogging and other light drills on Tuesday. Team officials said they still expect him to be ready to practice on Wednesday.
“What we can do is to calm down,” Lasmar told reporters. “Neymar trained a little, felt the pain, returned to physical therapy and tomorrow trains normally.”
Neymar Still Expected to Play Next Match
That message has been consistent from Brazilian officials, all of whom say that Neymar will be fine going forward and should be fit for Friday’s match against Costa Rica. But that’s unlikely to alleviate the fears of Brazil’s supporters, especially if future opponents continue to physically challenge the striker.
But if the injury truly is minor, Brazil should be fine in the short term even if Neymar isn’t fully healthy. The Brazilians are heavily favored over Costa Rica, with Paddy Power offering 1/5 odds on the South American side to win that match.
While that game is seen by many as a must win for Brazil, the team says they aren’t looking at it any differently than their other World Cup matches, and certainly won’t take their opponents lightly.
“All games are difficult,” midfielder Philippe Coutinho told reporters. “Today everyone is better prepared for a World Cup. That was the message we took from the first game. We need to be 110 percent to win our matches.”
The Neymar injury fears haven’t had much of an impact on oddsmakers, though Brazil’s odds of winning the World Cup were lengthened slightly at some bookmakers overnight. Paddy Power now has Brazil and Spain as 9/2 co-favorites, ahead of France, Germany, and Belgium, all of whom are listed at 8/1.