Bruno Guimaraes did not feature in Brazil’s opening World Cup game, but an injury to Neymar could hand the Newcastle United midfielder an opportunity.
The Selecao kicked off their tournament on Thursday night with a 2-0 win over Serbia, with Richarlison scoring both goals. A lot of the spotlight was on talisman Neymar, who endured a miserable night in Doha.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar was kicked out of the game by Serbia, and was eventually forced off with an ankle injury.
It did not look good for Neymar, and now the Brazil team doctor has provided a worrying update on the 30-year-old’s fitness.
What has been said about Neymar’s injury
It has now been confirmed that Neymar is set for a spell on the sidelines. He will definitely miss Monday’s game against Switzerland, alongside Danilo who is also suffering with injury.
And there is a fear that Neymar might not be fit until after the group stage.
“Neymar and Danilo went through an MRI on Friday afternoon and we found ligament damage in the ankle of both of them,” Brazil’s team doctor said.
“They will miss the next game for sure and we will be cautious as they will undergo treatment in order to try to get them in shape so they can play again in the World Cup.”
This isn’t the first time he has endured injury woes at a World Cup. He was stretchered off with a back problem when the tournament was held in his native Brazil back in 2014.
Losing Neymar is crushing for Tite, but it could give him the chance to turn to Newcastle’s samba superstar.
Brazil blow opens the door for Bruno
Newcastle fans were surprised to see Bruno fail to feature on Thursday night. He wasn’t named in the starting XI, then continued to sit on the bench while the likes of Fred got minutes.
But Neymar’s injury could push the 25-year-old up the pecking order.
Tite started with Casemiro and Lucas Paqueta in midfield, with Neymar playing just in front of them in a central role. With the former Barcelona ace now injured, it feels likely that Paqueta will move into the more advanced position.
That leaves a space free alongside Casemiro, and Bruno is the man to fill it. He should be the player who is drafted in to replace Neymar.
A midfield base of Casemiro and Bruno is actually more solid than Casemiro and Paqueta, as Bruno is better at winning back possession and protecting his defence. But he also has the quality on the ball to find a pass and create chances, which is why he should be ahead of Fred.
Neymar’s injury is a serious blow for Brazil, but it could give Newcastle fans the chance to see their own talisman in action. It is Bruno’s dream to play at the World Cup, and now that reality feels even closer.
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