No player inside Brazil must feel pressure to play the role of Neymarsidelined by a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus, the coach said Fernando Diniz before the World Cup qualifying matches against Colombia and Argentina.
Neymar, 31, underwent surgery earlier this month after suffering a left knee injury in an international match, and his recovery is expected to take until mid-2024.
Despite the loss of the country’s top scorer, Diniz does not expect a new hero to emerge in a young team full of talent that faces Colombia on Thursday and world champions Argentina on Tuesday.
“No one should worry about taking Neymar’s role. We have a very talented generation,” the interim coach told reporters on Wednesday. “Many people can take this role, but it’s important that we don’t give them that much weight. The players have to feel calm and give their best. Naturally, they will take center stage.”
Diniz said players like Raphinha, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus can shine in Neymar’s absence. The 39-year-old coach, recently crowned Copa Libertadores, also called Endrick (who is a Real Madrid player) to play for Brazil for the first time.
“Endrick is here because of his merit and his huge future potential. We don’t have to expect everything from a 17-year-old player. I see huge potential in him. He can become one of the legendary players in Brazilian football, but time will tell,” said of the Palmeiras forward, who will join Real Madrid in July.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
