Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said after the 1-0 loss to Cameroon that defender Danilo had shown positive signs of recovery from his ankle injury, while Neymar was in a hurry to recuperate before facing South Korea in the final tournament world championship.
Both Danilo and Neymar suffered ankle injuries during Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Serbia in the opening leg of Group G, preventing them from playing in a 1-0 win over Switzerland and a surprise loss to Cameroon by the same result.
Alex Sandro suffered a hip injury against Switzerland, and Alex Telles and Gabriel Jesus could add to the injury list after complaining of soreness last night against Cameroon when coach Tite fielded substitutes.
“As for Neymar and Alex Sandro, we think we have enough time and they have the opportunity to participate,” Lasmar told reporters when asked about the readiness of the injured to participate in the round of 16 match next Monday.
He continued, “Let’s wait to see their situation. They haven’t started training with the ball yet and that’s what they’ll be doing (today Saturday). It will be important to see how they react to this new style and we will call them on the team accordingly.”
And he added: “Danilo developed very positively, and today he trained very hard with the ball and adapted very positively. We expect him to be able to train normally with his teammates today.”
He added: “Let’s see 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 added that Telles and Jesus will be examined today.
He said: “Alex Telles complains of pain in his right knee after a bruise. He was assessed in the locker room, and today he will have an MRI so that we can assess his condition.”
He noted that “Gabriel Jesus complained after the match of pain in his right knee, and after the examination, we requested an x-ray today.”
Despite losing to Cameroon, the first African team to defeat Brazil at the World Cup, Coach Tite’s team finished first in Group G with a goal difference from Switzerland, each with six points.
Brazil is aiming to win their sixth world title in Qatar.
