Injury concern for Brazil as Neymar limps out of training

Neymar left Brazil training on Tuesday after just 15 minutes with a right ankle injury that the team doctor said is related to a foul he suffered against Switzerland and not his recently broken right foot.

Neymar was playing keep-away with a few other players when he suddenly left the training session in Sochi. He limped as he walked away from the field toward the dressing room.

Doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Neymar left as a precaution after feeling soreness while jogging. The superstar was set to undergo physiotherapy later in the day with an eye toward being fit for Wednesday’s training.

Brazil face Costa Rica on Friday in their second Group E game as they look to claim their first win of the tournament.

A day earlier, the forward had skipped training, one day after Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Switzerland — a game in which he was fouled 10 times, the most of any player in the competition in 20 years.

Neymar leaves the training session along with physiotherapists.

Most of the players who started against Switzerland only did light jogging on Monday, so Neymar’s departure on Tuesday is of greater concern.

On Instagram on Monday, Neymar posted a picture of his foot while receiving treatment alongside the message “work hard.”

Neymar, whose first season with Paris Saint-Germain ended in February after undergoing surgery to address a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot, made his return in the warm-up friendlies prior to the start of the tournament.

Phillipe Coutinho, who opened the scoring against Switzerland, said after the game that Brazil expect to be targeted by opponents.

“Yes, Switzerland hit us a lot … but all matches will be like this, I guess,” Coutinho told reporters. “We’re talking about a World Cup so everybody will try to defend their game.

“Neymar is OK, of course. But, as you can see during the match, sometimes the opponents make turns to foul and in many passes when it’s not necessary to foul, you have it and the match gets paralysed – but that’s how it is.”

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