“Neymar came out of training today with a painful right ankle,” said Vinicius Rodrigues, a spokesman for the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
He put the the knock down to the number of fouls Neymar received in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Rostov-on-Don in Brazil’s opening Group E outing.
The 26-year-old could be seen grimacing as he held his right ankle after feeling pain as he took part in a light session for those who had started that game.
Neymar had not taken part in training on Monday, as the side returned to their base in Sochi on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Rodrigues confirmed the problem concerned the Paris Saint-Germain star’s ankle and not the foot he fractured in February, an injury that required surgery and forced him to miss the rest of the club campaign.
“As soon as he felt the pain he went to the physio. He will stay there for today and tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, and will train as normal tomorrow,” added Rodrigues.
Neymar only made his comeback from the foot operation as a substitute in Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Croatia on June 3.
He scored in that game, and then made his first start since the injury, also scoring, in a 3-0 win over Austria in Vienna just before Tite’s squad flew to Russia.
Brazil are due to travel today to Saint Petersburg, where they will play Friday’s game.
Brazil relief over Neymar’s hairdo change
Rio de Janeiro: Neymar is famous for his stepovers, but it was his World Cup hair do-over that really got Brazilians talking yesterday.
The world’s most expensive footballer was underwhelming in Brazil’s 1-1 World Cup opener against Switzerland on Sunday.
His coif, however, featuring shaved sides and a blond-dyed mop at the front, was unmissable.
The look sent Brazilian social media’s ruthless meme machine into overdrive, juxtaposing Neymar alongside everything from a lookalike llama to the contents of a Pot Noodle or a packet of angel hair pasta.
“The Brazilian star went onto the field disguised as a cockatoo,” the Meia Hora tabloid wrote on its front page.
Many questioned, in all seriousness, whether Neymar hadn’t been put off his game by thinking too much about his hair.
So there was national relief when the superstar was photographed at the team’s Sochi base with the offending noodles-feathers part of his hair snipped off.
“After criticisms, Neymar gets rid of his controversial haircut,” the celebrity news site popzone.tv wrote.
“It could be superstition or just coincidence, but Neymar has decided to change his look again after the 1-1 draw,” the leading globoesporte site said.
But there could be more surprises to come.
Estadao newspaper reported that Neymar brought two hairdressers with him to Russia: Nariko, who does the cutting, and Wagner Tenorio, who handles the colouring.
