XtraTime Web Desk: Five-time World Cup winners Brazil would be hoping that they will get the service of fully fit Neymar Jr. when they will face Costa Rica in a must win game.
Philippe Coutinho has urged patience from Brazil following the favourites’ uneven start to the World Cup and the latest hysteria surrounding Neymar’s fitness ahead of Friday’s match against Costa Rica in St Petersburg.
Barcelona playmaker Coutinho gave Tite’s in-form side a first-half lead in spectacular fashion in their Group E opener against Switzerland but the European side were able to baton down the hatches and escape with a draw after Steven Zuber’s 50th-minute equaliser.
Costa Rica could prove a similarly tough nut to crack, with group pacesetters Serbia needing a stunning Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick to see off Oscar Ramirez’s side 1-0.
“It’s going to be difficult game like any game in the World Cup,” Coutinho said.
“All games have been balanced. Their game against Serbia was decided by a free-kick.
“They have to be careful. If they are going to be defensive, we will prepare. This is something we will only know on Friday. We will prep for both situations.”
Brazil expect Neymar to be available despite hobbling out of a training session in Sochi on Tuesday with ankle soreness.
He resumed working with the ball the following day but concerns remain given the Paris Saint-Germain star’s recent return from a broken metatarsal.
Costa Rica’s main worries purportedly relate to morale rather than injury issues.
Scheduled media activity in St Petersburg on Wednesday was cancelled amid reports of a rift between Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas and other senior players.
“You have to understand that Keylor is on another level than the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a great team-mate, that he isn’t himself around us,” said captain Bryan Ruiz earlier in the week, after preparations were further disrupted by an argument between forward Johan Venegas and defender Giancarlo Gonzalez being briefly broadcast on a Costa Rica Football Federation live feed.
“We just have to thank him for coming, thank him for defending us and for doing what he does on the field to help us.”