It has become the most famous Brazilian ankle of all. Neymar posted a picture of it on Instagram, ballooned to far more than its normal size, enough to send a nation of over 200 million people into panic mode. Battered by Serbia, as he was fouled nine times, Neymar’s ankle took the added strain of a further 11 minutes on the pitch before he informed manager Tite he was hurt.
Now he is out, Tite was swift to rebuff suggestions his tournament is over. Citing the two players who are sidelined after Brazil’s opening win, he said: “I believe Neymar and Danilo will be playing [again in] the World Cup. That is my opinion. Medically and clinically I am not in the position to speak about those things but I also have medical reports on my side.”
