Rodrigo Lasmar, the doctor of the Brazilian national team, revealed the health status of star player Neymar and defender Danilo, as well as the likelihood of their participation in the upcoming match against South Korea in the Round of 16 of the World Cup.
Lasmar stated that Danilo has shown positive signs in recovering from an ankle injury, while Neymar is racing against time to regain his fitness before facing South Korea. Both Danilo and Neymar sustained ankle injuries during Brazil's 2-0 victory over Serbia in the opening match of Group G, which kept them out of the 1-0 win over Switzerland and the surprising 1-0 loss to Cameroon.
Alex Sandro suffered a thigh injury against Switzerland, and Alex Telles and Gabriel Jesus may join the list of injured players after complaining of pain following last night's match against Cameroon, forcing coach Tite to field a lineup of substitutes.
In response to a question about the injured players' readiness for the Round of 16 match next Monday, Lasmar told reporters, "Regarding Neymar and Alex Sandro, we believe we have enough time, and there is a possibility for their participation." He added, "Let's wait to see their condition. They have not started training with the ball yet, and that will take place on Saturday. It will be important to see how they respond to this new training, based on which we will decide whether to include them in the team."
He continued, "Danilo has developed very positively, and today he trained well with the ball and adjusted very positively. We expect him to be able to train normally with his teammates today. Let's monitor what happens, and if everything goes well, we have very high expectations that he will be available for the next match."
The Brazilian team doctor also indicated that Telles and Jesus would undergo evaluations on Saturday. He explained, "Alex Telles is complaining of pain in his right knee after a knock. His condition was assessed in the locker room, and he will undergo an MRI today so we can evaluate his status. Gabriel Jesus complained of pain in his right knee after the match, and after assessment, we requested imaging today."
Despite the loss to Cameroon, the first African team to defeat Brazil in the World Cup, Tite's squad topped Group G on goal difference over Switzerland, with both teams earning six points, as the team aims to win its sixth World Cup title in Qatar.
