Brazil’s talismanic forward was taken off on a stretcher after suffering a kick to his lower back in the final minutes of the quarter-final with Colombia.
Speaking to local media outside the hospital, Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar ruled Neymar iout of the World Cup, saying that the star striker had suffered a fractured vertebrae.
Rodrigo Lasmar told Brazil’s SportTV: “It’s not serious in the sense that it doesn’t need surgery, but he’ll need to immobilize it to recover.
“Unfortunately, he’s not going to be able to play,” said Lasmar, adding that he expected the recovery period to take at least a few weeks.”
The 22-year-old was treated first at the stadium and then at a private clinic, and speaking straight after the match, Scolari was pessimistic about his chances of being fit for Tuesday’s semi-final in Belo Horizonte. Scolari will definitely be without his captain, Thiago Silva, who picked up a second yellow card in tha dramatic 2-1 win over Colombia.
“He is having a series of examinations because he was kneed in the lower back and was crying out in pain when he was stretchered off,” said Scolari. “Based on what the doctor has told us, I don’t think it will be easy for him to recover.
“I will try to be hopeful and he might well play in the final, if we beat Germany. I tell myself that he is young, has lots of energy and perhaps with 48 hours’ treatment he could be fit to play in Belo Horizonte but I must say I doubt it.”
“Everyone knows he’s going to be hunted, for three matches that has been happening.”
Scolari was furious that Juan Zuniga’s challenge on Neymar a few minutes from the end of a contest that contained more fouls than any other game in the World Cup was not punished by even a yellow card by the Spanish referee, Carlos Carballo. Silva’s attempt to block a goal-kick, however, earned Brazil’s first goalscorer the yellow card that will see him suspended for the semi-final.
The match contained 53 fouls, twice as many as yesterday’s other quarter-final between France and Germany. Colombia’s main threat, James Rodriguez was ruthlessly targeted by Fernandinho. “I think when the referee sees a replay of the game he will see some of our players being slightly tougher than they should have been,” said Scolari with some degree of understatement.
Sourse: London Evening Standard
