Is Neymar ready? Brazil insist he is

Sochi: Brazil are making sure everyone know that Neymar is perfectly fit. A day after he limped out of training and raised further doubts about his physical condition, the Brazilian soccer federation was quick to tell the world that the team’s biggest star was just fine. Brazil had a closed practice session on Wednesday, two days before its game against Costa Rica in St. Petersburg, but the federation posted photos and a video of Neymar in action in training with the rest of the squad. “Brazil practising and Neymar participating normally in the team’s activity,” the federation said in a Twitter post. The images showed him exchanging passes and making challenges. In a longer version of the video sent to journalists, Neymar took free-kicks. “Neymar practised the whole time,” the federation later said on its website. The federation later released a video with Neymar. “I trained well, felt comfortable,” Neymar said. “The foot is fine.” — AFP