FIFA WC: Neymar ruled out of Brazil’s second World Cup group stage game due to ankle injury

Doha: Neymar set to miss Brazil’s FIFA World Cup campaign’s second match after suffering an ankle ligament injury in his team’s opening victory against Serbia, the team doctor said on Friday.

Brazil forward was injured after a blow to his ankle and looked in agony as the ice was taped to his ankle.
As per Skysports, Brazil team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar said that the tests conducted on Neymar’s right ankle showed that he has a ligament injury and the star player will not be fit to participate against Switzerland in Monday’s clash.

“It’s important to remain calm, an evaluation will be conducted daily so we can have more information and take the most appropriate decisions. The goal is to have him recover” in time to still play in the tournament,” Skysports quoted Lasmar as saying.

In the match against Serbia on Thursday, Richarlison’s second-half double goal gave the five-time World Cup winners a comfortable victory, but Neymar’s injury substitution with 10 minutes remaining stained the victory.

Following a challenge by Nikola Milenkovic, Neymar developed an ankle issue and played for 10 minutes until being replaced by Antony after falling off the ball.

The 30-year-old Brazilian had ice taped to the damaged area and appeared to be in pain. Several Selecao bench players tried to soothe him.

The five-time world champions end their group-stage campaign against Cameroon on Friday, December 2.

Coming to the match, Richarlison scored two goals in the space of nine minutes as Brazil overpowered Serbia in the second half to clinch victory by 2-0 in the Group G game of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Lusail Stadium.