Should play for Brazil vs. South Korea
It looks like Brazil might have its man after all.
Neymar, who missed Brazil’s last two games with an ankle injury, could be available for Brazil’s Round of 16 World Cup 2022 game against South Korea on Monday, Brazil manager Tite said Sunday.
“Regarding Neymar, he’s going to practice this afternoon and if he is OK, he will play tomorrow,” Tite said. “I don’t share any information that is not true. My answer is he will practice this afternoon, if everything goes well, he will play.”
Neymar suffered the ankle injury in Brazil’s tournament-opening victory over Serbia, throwing his status for the rest of the competition into doubt.
His return would be particularly important now, as Brazil has also lost striker Gabriel Jesus for the rest of the World Cup with a knee injury suffered on Friday against Cameroon.
![Neymar suffered an ankle injury during Brazil's World Cup game against Serbia on Nov. 24, 2022.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/neymar-injury-update.jpg?w=1024)
![Neymar's ankle was swollen after getting injured during Brazil's World Cup game against Serbia on Nov. 24, 2022.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/neymar-injury-update-brazil.jpg?w=1024)
Neymar, who also suffered a back injury in the 2014 World Cup, has yet to win a major international title with Brazil.
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The Selecão famously lost on home soil in that tournament’s semifinal to Germany, 7-1. In 2018, they lost to Belgium in the quarterfinal, 2-1.
It has been 20 years since Brazil won the 2002 World Cup — the international soccer equivalent of the Yankees going since 2009 without a World Series title.
![Neymar sings Brazil's national anthem before the team's World Cup game against Cameroon on Dec. 2, 2022.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/neymar-injury-update-world-cup-2022.jpg?w=691)
Brazil is one of the favorites for this tournament, but its chances would be helped in a big way by having Neymar back.