Brazil have been dealt with a heavy blow as striker Neymar now faces a race against time to be fit for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The golden boy of Brazilian football who has had poor luck when it comes to injuries at World Cup missing the semi-final against Germany in the 2014 main event. A broken metatarsal while playing for French side Paris Saint Germain against Marseille was initially thought of as a mare fracture but later confirmed to be a complete rupture of the fifth metatarsal. Brazil team doctor, Dr Rodrigo Lasmar has confirmed Neymar will be out for a period of up to three months after a surgery is carried out on the injured foot.

Neymar’s club coach Unai Emry had earlier asserted the injury was not significant and that the star striker did not require to be put under the knife, but with the Brazil Football Association stepping in and flying Neymar off from Paris to Belo Horizonte in Brazil, the Selecao showed they are in no mood to take chances.

Brazil play Switzerland in their opening match on June 17 in Russia and it now looks a herculean task for Neymar to get himself on board the campaign. If the predicted timescale for his recovery does not take a turn for the worse Neymar may be fit by the end of May. This tentative return to football is also well past the date the teams have to send the final 23-member list to FIFA. He is also certain to miss a majority of friendlies that will be played just before the World Cup if in case he does make it to the squad.

The Neymar situation now is a potential banana skin for the Brazil coach Tite who saw his side dominate teams in the qualifiers and at the heart of most of those displays was Neymar. It is not only about losing an attacker, but Neymar is also one of the leaders in a young squad. Players look up to him for those moments of brilliance in tight contests that can change the complexion of a game in a second.

So, if Tite does feel taking an unfit player in the squad is a risk too high for a World Cup, which are the players he has at his disposal to replace the former Brazil skipper.

• Gabriel Barbosa

Photo Credits: Gabriel Barbosa Facebook

After a disappointing spell at Inter Milan and Benfica, Barbosa returned to boyhood club Santos to find some form scoring goals for fun. He burst into European football on similar lines as Neymar did with Barcelona but then had a completely different trajectory. Being constantly compared to Neymar also did not help his cause. Now with some regular football under his belt, he certainly has what it takes to be in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

• Malcom

Photo Credits: Malcom Oliveira Facebook

His name has dominated the past two transfer windows with a host of English clubs wanting to sign him up. Bordeaux did manage to fend off Arsenal and the winger is an absolute delight on the pitch. Blessed with breathtaking skill and pace, he can be the unknown force that Tite can launch on his opposition.

• Luan

Photo Credits: Getty Images

The 2017 South American Footballer of the Year has been a winner with Brazil helping the team to a Gold medal finish in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He also helped his side Gremio to the Copa Libertadores title. This winning mentality is what is needed at big stages and Tite might just have it in the form of Luan.

The coming three months are going to be nervous times for Brazil fans who will be closely monitoring the whole situation involving Neymar. If he does indeed make it to the World Cup, it will not be before the knockout phase that we see him on the pitch. While it is never encouraged at a professional level to have unfit players in the squad, just the whole idea of Brazil without Neymar at World Cup does not seem right. It will all boil down to Tite and his management team to decide if they follow their heart or go with the head.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2018 01:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).