Brazil legend Kaka has feels that Neymar failed to impress before he got injured in their World Cup opener against Serbia. Kaka also suggested that Neymar’s ankle injury could also harm Brazil’s chances of lifting the World Cup in Qatar.
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“I hope Neymar can recover for the next game because it is very important for him and his reputation to win a World Cup,” Kaka was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror.
“I hope he can recover for the next game and be ready. This tournament is the one that gives him a platform to shine – and against Serbia he certainly didn’t shine before he was injured.
“The one positive is that when he went off the pitch, Brazil played a very good game.
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“It didn’t look like a serious injury at first. But what worries me is that Neymar always wants to play even when he is hurt.
“This time he didn’t. He wanted to come off. For me, that is very strange and it could be a problem for Brazil for the rest of the tournament,” he added.
Neymar sprained his ankle in the second half of a bruising match against Serbia on Thursday. He was in tears while sitting on the bench with ice around his ankle and limped off the field on his way to the locker room.
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He will miss Brazil’s second World Cup match but will remain with the squad undergoing treatment for his ankle injury, the team doctor said on Friday.
Neymar was substituted in the 79th minute, about 10 minutes after hurting his ankle while being tackled by Serbia defender Nikola Milenković.
Neymar had already been tackled many times before during the match, and was seen grimacing and limping a few other occasions. He was fouled nine times, the most of all World Cup players after the first round of matches in the group stage.
