NEYMAR LIMPS OFF
During the match, he felt a muscle injury, so I took him off as a precaution
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Neymar limped off injured early on as Brazil played out a 1-1 friendly draw against a spirited Nigeria side at the Singapore National Stadium.
The five-time world champions fell behind in the first half, but Casemiro’s equalizer early in the second period spared their blushes before Brazil wasted a string of chances to leave Southeast Asia with a victory after also being held by Senegal.
Brazil started well with Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino firing just wide in the third minute after a smart turn near the penalty spot. However, Brazil was dealt with a major blow when Neymar limped off in the 12th minute with what appeared to be a left thigh problem — the Paris Saint-Germain striker replaced by Bayern Munich’s Philippe Coutinho to bring a premature end to his 101st international appearance.
Neymar’s return to Champions League action may now be delayed with PSG facing Club Brugge on 22 October after the world’s most expensive player missed the first two games through suspension.
“During the match, he felt a muscle injury, so I took him off as a precaution,” Brazil coach Tite said.
“Neymar did not have a muscle issue before the match. I would never start a player if they had a hint of a problem like this, I would never pay that price,” Tite added of the 27-year-old, who has suffered a string of injuries since his move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017. “My career has taught me that I would never use a player if he was not in condition to play. It would be irresponsible of me to risk a player carrying an injury.”