Picture of Neymar after the match. Photo: Reuters
Coach Tite said Brazil striker Neymar must be fine to stay at the World Cup despite suffering a swollen ankle during his team’s 2-0 win over Serbia on Thursday.
“We are confident that Neymar will continue to play, he will continue to play in the World Cup,” Tite told reporters.
“I didn’t see Neymar get hurt. And he had the ability to recover, he even betrayed me.”
Team doctor Rodrigo Lassmar said Brazil would wait 24-48 hours before assessing Neymar’s injury.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker, the world’s most expensive player following his record 222-million-euro ($231 million) transfer from Barcelona, played a key role in Brazil’s win in their first game in Group G in Qatar.
He broke into the box to pass to Vinicius Júnior to set up Richarlison for Brazil’s opening goal in the second half.
Later, however, he was seen crying as he walked off the pitch with a swollen ankle.
It was reminiscent of the back injury that ruled Neymar out of the World Cup on home soil in 2014.
Match-winner Richardson, who scored a stunning swiveling overhead volley for Brazil’s second goal, said he had spoken to his teammates to check on his injury.
“It looks like he has hurt his ankle and I told him to put a lot of ice on it for the fastest recovery to make him 100% in the next match. When I reach the hotel, I’m going and See how he’s doing,” he said.
Richardson has now scored nine goals in his last seven games for Brazil and is brimming with confidence.
“As our professor Tite said ‘I smell goals’!” They said. “At half time, I told my teammates that I needed a ball and if I got it, I would score. And that’s what happened.
“We had a beautiful win and now we have six more games to reach our goal.”
