Brazilian striker Neymar was forced to depart early from his team’s 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday night after picking up a right ankle injury. The striker was pictured in tears as he sat on the bench after being substituted following his injury.
A central figure in Brazil’s attacking lineup, Neymar was subjected to nine fouls throughout the game. It was after a hard tackle by Nikola Milenkovic that Neymar’s evening came to an end, with the PSG striker being replaced by Manchester United winger Antony in the 80th minute of play. Upon his arrival at the bench, Neymar was treated with ice packs by team trainers.
“Neymar has an injury on his right ankle, a direct trauma,” Brazil team director Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed to the press following his nation’s victory. “He continues with the physio, but now need to wait 24 to 48 hours for a better assessment. There is no MRI scan scheduled, but tomorrow we will make a new assessment. We need to wait and cannot make any premature comments.
Lasmar also revealed that Neymar was already injured for 11 minutes prior to Milenkovic’s rough challenge. Instead of being substituted, Neymar opted to play through the pain in order to seek the win for his team.
