Neymar Limps out of Brazil World Cup Training with Injury Before Costa Rica Game

Neymar could be a doubt for Brazil's Group E clash against Costa Rica on Friday after he limped out of a training session with what appeared to be a foot complaint on Tuesday.

The Selecao need their talisman at his best after drawing 1-1 with Switzerland in their 2018 FIFA World Cup opener, and the Mirror's Alex Richards reported on his withdrawal,  which comes after Neymar only recently recovered from a broken foot.

Esport Interativo also provided footage of Neymar limping out of the training session:

The 26-year-old missed the last few months of the 2017-18 season after breaking his foot in February, but he returned to full health in time for the World Cup and showed good form in Brazil's friendlies leading up to the tournament.

Bleacher Report's Matt Jones thought the time away from the game may have been a blessing in disguise:

There's no understating just how important the forward is to the Selecao.

Four years ago, the team seemed among the favourites to win the 2014 World Cup until their star man went down with a back problem. Brazil would eventually suffer the most embarrassing defeat in the nation's history without him, a 7-1 drubbing on home soil at the hands of Germany in the semi-finals.

With Neymar, the Selecao have enough creativity in the attacking third to drop Philippe Coutinho into a midfield role. The Barcelona man usually shifts further forward in his absence, creating an imbalance in the trenches Brazil have struggled to overcome.

It's never easy to replace a player as talented as Neymar, who scored 19 Ligue 1 goals in just 20 matches in his debut campaign with PSG. Only a handful of players could replicate those numbers, and none of them are in Brazil's squad.