Neymar Scheduled to Undergo Minor Throat Surgery This Summer

The last thing Barcelona and Brazilian national team fans want to hear is that young superstar Neymar needs surgery of any kind, especially after his Golden Ball performance at the Confederations Cup.  

Unfortunately, he does need surgery on his throat. Fortunately, however, it's a very minor procedure.

UPDATE: Monday, July 8, at 8:37 a.m. ET by Timothy Rapp

Neymar's procedure was successful and he has left the hospital, according to Football Espana:

"

Barcelona’s new signing Neymar has left hospital after successfully undergoing surgery to remove his tonsils and clear a nasal passage.

A report in the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper claims the Brazilian striker was discharged from Rio de Janeiro’s Sao Vicente clinic on Sunday after it was previously assumed he would leave on Saturday.

However, head of surgery Augusto Cesar Lima, who is also a member of the Brazilian Football Confederation’s medical team, preferred him to remain hospitalised and under observation for a further 24 hours.

"

---End of update---

From Mike Collett of Reuters (via Yahoo!):

"

The 21-year-old Neymar, who scored four goals during the tournament, said he would have the surgery on Friday before he goes to Spain.

"It's a problem that I have, my throat always bothers me, so we're going to operate to resolve it once and for all," he said in adding that it was not a serious issue.

"

Football Espana adds:

"

Barcelona have confirmed that both Jordi Alba and new signing Neymar will undergo minor throat operations this summer.

The duo, who have just finished participation in the summer’s Confederations Cup, have been listed by the Catalan club as set for respective tonsillectomies to try and resolve issues of repeated tonsillitis in recent years.

"

He should only be sidelined for a week or so. 

Neymar was absolutely electrifying for Brazil at the Confederations Cup and a key factor in the team's shocking 3-0 win over Spain in the championship game. Alongside his four goals in five games, he added two assists and according to WhoScored.com earned a sparkling 8.28 match rating for the tournament.

Several of his future Barcelona teammates got a taste of what playing with Neymar would be like in the championship game, as Neymar smashed home a left-footed goal late in the first half to give Brazil a 2-0 lead. 

He should fit perfectly on the left wing for a Barcelona side looking to defend its La Liga crown and earn a Champions League title this season. 

There will of course be questions how he will adjust to playing with Lionel Messi—the focal point of Barcelona's attack—as Neymar likes to drift inwards over the course of the game. That false nine position is Messi's domain, of course. 

As well, it remains to be seen how he will adjust to playing Barcelona's tiki-taka brand of football, a stylistic shift for the aggressive and often individualistic Neymar. 

Still, he'll no doubt add a whole new level of danger and intrigue to Barcelona's attack. Well, once he gets those tonsils taken care of, that is.