Brazil forward Neymar has been ruled out of the World Cup with a broken bone in his back sustained in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia.<\/a><\/p>\n He fractured a vertebra in his spine when kneed in the back by Juan Zuniga in a challenge that went unpunished.<\/p>\n Neymar, 22, was in tears when he was carried off on a stretcher before being taken to hospital in Fortaleza.<\/p>\n Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said: “Neymar was going to be hunted. For three matches that has been happening.”<\/p>\n Team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar told Brazil’s SportTV: “Unfortunately, he’s not going to be able to play. He is very, very sad.<\/p>\n “It’s not serious in the sense that it doesn’t need surgery, but he’ll need to immobilise it to recover.”<\/p>\n Lasmar added that he expected the recovery period to take at least a few weeks.<\/p>\n
\nNeymar at the World Cup<\/h2>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\nMatches played<\/strong><\/td>\n | 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Minutes played<\/strong><\/td>\n | 457<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Attempts on target<\/strong><\/td>\n | 72.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Goals scored<\/strong><\/td>\n | 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Assists<\/strong><\/td>\n | 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Neymar had a quiet game on Friday and was replaced in the 88th minute after Napoli defender Zuniga challenged him for a header, with referee Carlos Velasco Carballo taking no action.<\/p>\n Scolari said: “Not even a yellow card, nothing.<\/p>\n “People think Germany, these or the others, only they are hunted, but not Neymar.”<\/p>\n Zuniga insisted: “I never meant to hurt a player. It was a normal move.<\/p>\n “I was playing for the shirt from my country, not with the intent to injure. I was just defending my shirt.”<\/p>\n Thiago Silva’s early goal and a stunning David Luiz free-kick in the second half set up victory for Brazil, who withstood a late Colombia onslaught that saw James Rodriguez score an 80th-minute penalty.<\/p>\n |
|---|