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Brazil's opening group stage match against Serbia showed why they were the favorites to win the 2022 World Cup. The problem was that their best player in Neymar picked up a serious ankle injury along the way that will hold him out for at least Brazil's final two group stage matches, and potentially more.
No one knows whether or not Neymar will be able to return to the pitch for Brazil in this tournament, but it's clear that Brazil's manager Tite has confidence that we haven't seen the last of Neymar. Tite gave a positive update on Neymar's status ahead of their second group stage match with Switzerland on Monday that should inspire hope that the star forward can indeed return later on in the tournament.
“I believe that Neymar and Danilo will play the World Cup. I believe in that. Medically, clinically, they can talk more about the stages of the treatment. [But] I have no place to talk. I trust that we will be able to use both of them.” – Tite, ESPN
This certainly isn't a proclamation from Tite that Neymar will return, and he doesn't really offer any concrete evidence to back up his beliefs, but he has more information than the rest of us, so he must be encouraged by what he has seen from Neymar. And since that's the case, his words cannot be taken lightly here.
Either way, Neymar will obviously be working night and day on his ankle in an attempt to get back on the field for Brazil, and they certainly will need him if they hope to win this tournament. In the meantime, though, it will be worth keeping an eye on his status, and seeing whether or not anyone else on Brazil can step up to negate absence.
