Captain Lionel Messi had already been ruled out after suffering a long-term knee injury in September.
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While there is time to recover from their respective stuttering starts, the pair’s current plight only serves to increase the importance of the latest edition of one of soccer’s biggest and most prestigious clashes.
Brazil defeated Venezuela 3-1 in their last CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, while Argentina, which dropped its opener against Ecuador, could only manage a 0-0 draw with Paraguay. Martino, though, has refuted suggestions that the team is too reliant on the talents of Messi. But Manchester United are not the only club that is monitoring Neymar’s uncertain future, Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain are also in line to sign him.
“The loss of Messi is important”. The absence of players more accustomed to scoring also makes it more hard to reach the goal.
“He was always a top quality player”. Brazil, meanwhile, are getting Neymar back after he was suspended for the first two games of World Cup qualifying.
Lazaroni believes Neymar, scorer of 46 goals in 67 internationals, will be at the peak of his mercurial powers in 2022: “According to statistics, Neymar is better than Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they were at a similar age”.
Neymar’s Copa America suspension is finally over, and it couldn’t have come a better time for Brazil.
Ronaldo recently shared a few insight into the supposed rivalry he shares with Messi, and claimed the Barcelona maestro motivates him to better himself.
He added: “I don’t have rivals, we have a normal relationship”. Ronaldo and Messi have been the only winners of the Ballon d’Or in the last eight years.
As ESPNFC writer Tim Vickery noted, the much accomplished Neymar still has something to prove in the global game. It was a positive performance, but we need points and must win in Colombia.
“You win competitions, you win Champions League you win the league in terms of individual”.
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Uruguay, which is still missing Luis Suarez as he serves out the remainder of his 2014 World Cup biting ban, will be able to recall striker Edinson Cavani, suspended during the Copa America for his lurid altercation with Chile’s Gonzalo Jara.
