Neymar fitness cloud lingers

SAINT PETERSBURG: A battered and bruised Neymar will aim to get Brazil’s World Cup campaign back on track here Friday as the pre-tournament favorites seek to re-assert their title credentials with victory over Costa Rica.

Neymar was given a rough ride in Brazil’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Sunday, fouled 10 times during the match, the most for any player in a single World Cup game for 20 years.

The world’s most expensive player then set alarm bells ringing when he hobbled out of training on Tuesday in full view of the cameras.

However, he returned to the training pitch 48 hours ahead of the clash in Saint Petersburg, raising hopes he will feature.

Even before his latest setback, there were doubts over Neymar’s fitness heading into the World Cup after a three-month layoff.

The Switzerland clash was his first competitive game for nearly four months after a broken bone in his right foot ended his club season with Paris Saint-Germain in February.

To the frustration of many in the French capital, Neymar returned home for much of his recovery process with the intention of being fully fit for the World Cup.

However, questions remain whether he is seriously lacking match practice.

Brazil looked to their talisman time and again in the final stages in Rostov-on-Don, but he failed to find the final pass or finish to unlock a well-organized Switzerland defense.

Instead, it was Philippe Coutinho who got Brazil’s campaign off to a flying start with a wonderful long-range strike to open the scoring.

In contrast to Neymar, Coutinho ended the season in sensational form for Barcelona after sealing his dream move from Liverpool.

Should Neymar not be fit, Coutinho could be moved into his role on the left of a front three with Tite bolstering his midfield.