Neymar backed to lead Brazil's World Cup bid by Selecao doctor encouraged by recovery

Dom Farrell

Neymar backed to lead Brazil's World Cup bid by Selecao doctor encouraged by recovery image

Neymar's attempts to reach full fitness in time for the 2018 World Cup are on track, according to Brazil's team doctor.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward had his season curtailed when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during the 3-0 Ligue 1 victory over Marseille, undergoing surgery on March 3.

Last week Neymar identified May 17 as a target date to return to training, with Brazil's Russia 2018 opener against Switzerland coming exactly a month later in Rostov.

And Rodrigo Lasmar is happy with the progress being made by the Selecao's prized asset.

"Neymar is working hard and we expect him to be well prepared so that he can make an excellent preparation for the World Cup," the medic told Globo Esporte.

"He is recovering in the best possible way, as part of the established programme [for rehabilitation].

"We need to improve the physical condition [of a player coming back from injury] because it is probably low.

"Players returning from an injury must undergo an individual assessment in order to design the best strategy for them."

Brazil have been drawn in Group E alongside Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia.

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.