neymar: Who can replace Neymar following injury?

With Neymar ruled out for at least one more match, Brazil coach Tite must now start thinking about a replacement – and this time he has plenty of options.

Brazil isn’t as dependent on Neymar as it used to be, and Tite could go a number of different ways to replace the Paris Saint-Germain forward for Monday’s Group G match against Switzerland.

Neymar injured his right ankle in Brazil’s opening 2-0 win against Serbia on Thursday. He has ligament damage and team doctors haven’t given a timetable for his recovery – or whether he’ll recover at all.

Tite brought nine forwards into the World Cup, and could also add a midfielder as a replacement for Neymar if desired. The most straightforward option would be to use Rodrygo in Neymar’s position, keeping Rafinha, Vinicius Junior and Richardson in attack. Rodrigo plays more as an attacker in Real Madrid, but he has trained in Neymar’s “no”. 10″ playmaking positions while in Qatar with Brazil.

Another option would be to have an extra midfielder in Neymar’s position – Manchester United’s Fred or Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães, for example – freeing up attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who played close.

For defensive midfielder Casemiro against Serbia.

Another attacking midfielder available for Tite is Everton Ribeiro, while there are other forwards in the squad.

Gabriel Jesus, Antony, Gabriel Martinelli and Pedro.

Neymar drew the most attention from the tough Serbian defence, which troubled him from the outset. He was fouled nine times during the game, the most by any player in the first round of the World Cup.

matches in the group stage.

Neymar is Brazil’s second all-time top scorer with 75 goals, two behind Pelé’s record with the national team.

The last time he was ruled out of the World Cup was due to a back injury in the quarter-finals against

Colombia in 2014 – Brazil lost 7–1 to Germany in the semi-finals.

Tite will not be able to count on right back Danilo, who also sprained his ankle against Serbia. Danilo could be replaced by veteran Daniel Alves, although Tite could also use central defender Eder Militão in that position.

Brazil, seeking their first World Cup title in two decades, will face Cameroon in their last group match. it can reach

If Cameroon does not beat Serbia in its second group match, a win on Monday will advance to the round of 16.

Originally published at Pen 18