Neymar to make comeback against Croatia
Neymar will make his first appearance for over three months on Sunday (June 3) as Brazil coach Tite confirmed the Paris Saint-Germain striker will play in the second half of his country’s friendly against Croatia.
Neymar suffered a fractured foot while playing for PSG against Marseille in Ligue 1 on Feb 25.
The 26-year-old had surgery in Brazil amid fears he wouldn’t be fit for the World Cup. But Neymar recovered well enough to be included in the Selecao squad for the tournament, which gets underway in Russia on June 14.
Facing a race to be fit for Brazil’s World Cup opener against Switzerland on June 17, Neymar will get a chance to use Sunday’s clash at Anfield to show he is ready to lead the five-time world champions in Russia.
“Neymar? He’ll start on the bench because he’s still recovering, and will come on at half-time because we’re preparing as a team,” Tite told reporters at a press conference on Saturday.
“I don’t know yet who’ll come off for him, he has to be our star player but the others have to shine as well.”
Neymar scored 28 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions for PSG in an impressive first season in France following his blockbuster move from Barcelona.
Brazil face Austria in their final pre-World Cup friendly on June 10 before taking on Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia in Group E in Russia.
Meanwhile, Tite also criticised team sponsor Mastercard, telling the credit card company that an offer of charitable donations in return for goals by Neymar and Lionel Messi was not helpful in a team sport.
Mastercard, which has been one of Brazil’s main sponsors since 2012, last week announced they would donate the equivalent value of 10,000 meals to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) every time Messi or Neymar scored a goal for either club or country. The offer lasts until March 2020.
Tite, however, made his unease plain.
“Mastercard, I am going to tell you something,” he said.
“This donation to charity is very nice. It’s beautiful and it’s grand. Just as it would be a grand gesture you giving food if any Argentina or Brazil player was to score a goal. We work here as a team and these gestures can be a bit frustrating. That’s my suggestion.”
The comments, reported on Brazilian web site UOL, followed criticism of the campaign on social media, and come in spite of support from both players.
Messi said he was “proud to be a part of this campaign” and Neymar said it was an example of how the traditional rivals “can do great things when we come together”.
Both men head to the World Cup in Russia this month as the undisputed standouts of their squads and both are aiming for the winners’ medal that would cap their careers to date.
Brazil have been drawn alongside Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia, while Argentina play Iceland, Nigeria and Croatia in the group stage. – REUTERS
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now