Brazilian superstar Neymar could miss his side’s friendly against South Korea on Thursday after injuring his foot in training on the eve of the game. Neymar grabbed his right foot and fell to the grass after colliding with a teammate during Wednesday’s session at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. He was quickly caught by a trainer and limped off the field, but did not return. At a pre-match press conference, team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Neymar’s right foot was swollen and it was too early to determine his status for Thursday’s game.
“We have to keep an eye on his foot until tomorrow morning,” the doctor said through an interpreter.
“At the moment it is difficult to say for sure whether he will be able to play. We will have to see tomorrow morning.”
Lasmar said Neymar was “traumatized” by a history of right foot injuries.
Neymar posted an image of his bruised foot on Instagram, which showed what appeared to be visible swelling.
Even before this latest injury, Brazilian coach Tite faced some tough roster calls.
While Neymar and most of the team arrived in South Korea last week, six players from Real Madrid and Liverpool only landed on Tuesday, three days after their Champions League final in Paris.
“Given their physical condition and how far they’ve traveled, it’s probably the right thing to play against them in later matches (rather than Thursday),” Tite told the press conference. “But everyone is eager to play.”
Tite said South Korea, which had been coached by Paulo Bento for nearly four years, was “well prepared” for the World Cup.
He singled out captain Son Heung-min for praise after the Tottenham Hotspur man won the Golden Boot in the Premier League along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
“Whether it’s his technique, stamina or mental strength, he’s a perfect player,” said Tite. “It is no coincidence that he won the Golden Shoe this year.”
Tite said he saw Thursday’s game as part of the build-up to the World Cup, and that he would demand more than just a win from his team.
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“I want to see how our players perform in an away game and set a standard for ourselves,” said Tite.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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