Brasilia, June 6: Brazil's preparations for the Copa America suffered a blow after star forward Neymar was injured during a friendly with Qatar.

Neymar limped off the pitch in the 22nd minute of the match at Mane Garrincha stadium on Wednesday after his right ankle appeared to be injured in a tackle, reports Xinhua news agency. Cristiano Ronaldo Hat-Trick Helps Portugal Beat Switzerland in Nations League Final (Watch Video).

The 27-year-old was later seen crying while being evaluated by medical staff on the Brazil bench. Neymar missed most of the second half of the 2018-19 season with Paris Saint-Germain because of a fractured metatarsal in his right foot. He started Wednesday's match despite a police investigation launched last Friday into accusations that he raped a women in a Paris hotel.

The Copa America will be played in five Brazilian cities from June 14 to July 7. Brazil have been drawn in Group A alongside Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2019 11:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).