Neymar's Injury Does Not Worry the CBF; Doctors See No Risk to World Cup

04/18/2014 - 13h40

For the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Neymar's injury was only a scare. The player is not likely to play for Barcelona for the rest of the season and his injury can be a worry in the World Cup.

The Brazilian forward sustained a injury which caused an edema in the metatarsal bone in his left foot during the Copa Del Rey final, last Wednesday. Barcelona was beaten by Real Madrid 2 - 1.

"This is an exaggeration. This is such a low profile injury that Barcelona did not inform CBF. When a contusion is serious it is one of the first things they do", said Rodrigo Paiva, the Head of Communications of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

The player is to be sidelined for four weeks. He could return in time for Barcelona's last match in the Spanish League, on May 18th, against Atlético Madri.

Specialists believe that the forward should now rest.

"It is a bone that puts a player out of action. It causes pain in most support positions, even for weight sustaining. If the player kicks the ball, it hurts. It is a difficult bone to deal with. If the club are sidelining him for four weeks it is due to a complicated injury", said Turíbio Leite de Barros, master and PhD in Physiology.

However, according to Moisés Cohen, head of Orthopedics and Trauma at the Federal University of São Paulo, there is no reason for much worry.

"It is a straight forward injury. If the player rests he will get better. Edemas are water clogs that suggest an inflammation. It could have been caused by a trauma or bone fatigue due to excess training or playing", the doctor has said.

Neymar played the full 90 minutes and did not pick up a contusion. But the player was seen limping at the arrival of the Barcelona delegation from the final in Valencia.

There is a chance that Neymar may spend his recovery time in Brazil.

On May 7th, Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian manager, will call up the players for the World Cup line up, when the forward will still be out of the pitch.

SECOND INJURY OF 2014

This is Neymar's second injury of 2014. In January, the player sprained his right ankle in a match against Getafe, also for the Copa Del Rey. He was sidelined for a month.

This contusion happened at a critical time when Neymar is being questioned by the Spanish press and by part of Barcelona supporters.

The player was hospitalized after the delegation's arrival in Barcelona, following their defeat in the Copa Del Rey. Even Lionel Messi was attacked by the Spanish press.

Specialists say the injury could have been worse. Generally, when players sustain injuries in the metatarsal it is usually a fracture - which is not the case for the Brazilian player.

"If it was a fracture, it would have been much more serious. He would not be able to play for some time. Edemas are simple; the body absorbs it in about a month", Palmeiras' doctor, Vinícius Martins, has said.

Last year, Guerrero sustained an injury in the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. He then found out it was a small fissure. He carried on playing while taking painkillers. He did not manage to continue playing and had to have an operation.

"This type of injury limits a player's movements in the pitch. He plays in pain. The best thing to do is to stop playing and recover", Corinthians' Peruvian centre-forward has said.

According to Turíbio, the injury has a silver lining: Neymar will be safe from having a more serious problem before the World championship. "This contusion in the metatarsal won't stop him from playing in the World Cup", the physiologist concluded.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

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lluis Gene/AFP

The Brazilian forward sustained an injury which caused an edema in the metatarsal bone in his left foot