Neymar will likely play for Brazil in their last-16 Qatar World Cup encounter against South Korea. The 30-year-old sustained an ankle injury during Brazil's opening match against Serbia on November 24. Following his injury, Neymar Jr. posted some images of his ankle on social media, which sparked doubts about whether the star player would be able to continue competing in the ongoing event. However, the Selecao doctor was always optimistic about Neymar's recovery, particularly in the knockout stages.
Updates on injuries for the Brazil team's World Cup 2022 campaign
According to recent reports, Neymar Jr. is set to make his comeback against South Korea in the Round of 16 after suffering an injury a week ago. The Brazilian superstar footballer has already started training with his teammates at the Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha. A picture circulating in social media shows Brazilian coach Tite welcoming Neymar Jr. with open arms. Neymar's overall development has been satisfactory, multiple reports claim.
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Maybe head coach Tite needs Neymar more than ever after a like-for-like replacement, Gabriel Jesus, was ruled out for the rest of the tournament due to a knee injury. Left-back Alex Telles was also confirmed to miss the remainder of the competition after sustaining a knee injury during the game against Cameroon.
The Brazilian side has been hit hard by multiple injuries since the Qatar World Cup got underway on November 20. Two of Neymar's teammates, Alex Sandro and Danilo, sustained injuries and even missed the Cameroon fixture, which the Selecao lost 1-0. These two players have been progressing well to take part in the Korea Republic match.
Despite having a very skilled squad that many compare to the Brazilian team that won the World Cup in 2002, the rising number of injuries is always a serious concern. In addition, the Brazilian defense lacks enough fresh legs. They have several elite fullbacks and defenders, but the majority of their players are older, which may cost them in the competition's latter stages.
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Neymar Jr.'s inclusion in the starting lineup will therefore provide coach Tite with an advantage because he draws a lot of attention to the tactics of the opponent. After Tite's experiments with squad strength against Cameroon entirely failed, significant changes to Brazil's starting XI against South Korea are almost certainly going to be made.
When will the Brazil vs South Korea Round of 16 match be held?
The Brazil vs South Korea Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be held at the Stadium 974 - Ras Abu Aboud on Tuesday, November 6, at 1 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). The winner of this game will take on either Croatia or Japan in the quarterfinal.
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Aftermath
The Brazilian team is now suffering from a lot of injuries, and their spirits have taken a setback after losing to Cameroon in the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage match. Neymar Jr.'s participation in Brazil's Round of 16 clash against South Korea would therefore certainly be a huge plus for his team.