Despite the Brazilian Football Federation ruling out Neymar from the World Cup, football medicine specialist Michael Davison writes why it’s not fanciful that the 2014 poster boy will return in time
last weekend Brazil held its collective breath as they waited to hear the injury status of their footballing talisman, Neymar. The publicly issued prognosis confirmed everyone's worst fears and he was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup.Yet, despite the Brazilian Football Confederation's statement to the contrary, there is perhaps some light at the end of the tournament tunnel for the player.
Considering that the injury does not require surgery and there is precedent, it may not be that fanciful, if Brazil beat Germany, that he could play some part in the final on Sunday. Pain will be the limiting factor for the player's involvement.The official diagnosis released indicates that the striker broke the third vertebra in the lumbar region of his back. It is being described as benign and something that can be managed conservatively with only the intervention of physiotherapy and rest. Wisely no alternative or quick fix treatments are being proposed.
In the world of football medicine this diagnosis is slightly vague, and for many experts outside the immediate care of the player it is their belief that it is almost certain to be a new acute transverse process fracture.A transverse process fracture is quite a rare injury and usually results from a sudden extreme twisting or side bending movement. As in this case it can also occur due to a direct impact, although muscle in that area normally cushions the blow.
Due to the location of the fracture it is unlikely to cause any instability of the spine or any damage to the spinal cord. For now, a brace will keep the spine straight to allow healing of the bone. The other diagnosis is an old injury, such as a pars defect, that has been discovered on imaging. Often players will carry injuries without symptoms, and it is only when scanned are they discovered.
In rugby so-called trunk tackling is legal and these injuries are more common. Players can miss six to eight weeks of competitive action, but others do not miss a game.Pain is the guide. If it is then a transverse process fracture or an old injury, then the pain that the player feels is the obstacle to playing.In this instance there would be no long-term adverse outcome. Considering the circumstances Brazil would likely administer a local anaesthetic, then fitness test him and if he can run and kick with a manageable level of pain then he would be available for selection.
Certainly his natural adrenaline would also act as huge painkiller for a World Cup final.‘was a cowardly tackle’Belo Horizonte: Brazil captain Thiago Silva branded Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zuniga a coward for the tackle which put star striker Neymar out of the World Cup."In my opinion it was a cowardly tackle," the Paris Saint-Germain defender said on the eve of his side's World Cup semi-final against Germany on Tuesday.
"I am a defender, I know how to mark a player and there is no way you can get the ball by putting a knee in the back. It is not something that comes about in a normal match situation."FIFA turned down a request from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to ban Zuniga on Monday because the incident had been seen by the match officials at the time and no action was taken.
Silva will miss the Tuesday match after FIFA also turned down the CBF's appeal against his yellow card in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia on Friday.The 29-year-old was booked 25 minutes from time with Brazil leading 1-0 through his early strike for impeding Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina."In no moment did I intend to take the ball from the goalkeeper. I was trying so hard not to commit any fouls, the only foul I remember was the yellow card and it is very difficult to miss the game," he added.
"But I really trust the players on the pitch. No matter the 11 players we will be well represented."