Sao Paulo: Neymar Jr., out with a broken foot since February, will be ready to play at the World Cup in Russia, Brazil’s team doctor said.
Rodrigo Lasmar carried out the surgery on the Paris Saint-Germain player, who broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot on February 25 during a match against Marseille, reports EFE news agency.
“The expectation is for Neymar to arrive well prepared for the World Cup”, Lasmar told GloboEsporte on Friday.
“Our objective is that he recovers as well as possible”, Lasmar added.
The doctor said the PSG and Brazil star was recovering “in the best way possible” and within the “planned time frame”, but admitted that Neymar would require intense physical conditioning and training in order for him to be ready to play, having been out of action since the end of February.
“We need to improve his physical condition. Players returning from injury deserve an individual assessment to draw up the best possible strategy for them”, Lasmar added.
Neymar had surgery on his broken right foot on March 3, and is currently recovering at his home in Mangaratiba, near Rio de Janeiro.
Neymar, incidentally, is also among the four nominees for the French league’s Player of the Year award.
The Brazil striker was shortlisted on Friday along with Paris Saint-Germain teammates Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe. The other nominee is Marseille winger Florian Thauvin.
Neymar has scored 19 league goals in only 20 games, but has not played since cracking a metatarsal in his right foot against Marseille on Feb. 25. He had surgery in Brazil in March.
Cavani won the award last season and is again the league’s topscorer with 25 goals, while Mbappe has chipped in with 13. PSG has already sealed the title and scored 104 goals with four games left.
Thauvin has scored 22 goals overall in an outstanding season for Marseille, which is fourth in the French league and hoping to win the Europa League. Thauvin scored on Thursday as Marseille beat Salzburg 2-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals. The winner will be named on May 13.
Brazil kick off their World Cup campaign with a Group E match on June 18 against Switzerland.
