Neymar injury: Brazil forward in knee scare two weeks before start of Copa America as he limps out of training

PSG forward has only played four times since returning from a broken foot and failed to finish his first full training session with the Brazil team on Tuesday

Neymar had to cut short his first full training session with Brazil ahead of the Copa America after the striker appeared to feel pain in his left knee.

The 27-year-old Neymar left the field in the Granja Comary training ground outside Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday alongside doctor Rodrigo Lasmar.

It was another setback for Brazil's biggest star, who has only played four matches with Paris Saint-Germain since he returned from a broken metatarsal in his right foot on 27 April.

That was the same injury that heavily affected his performances at last year's World Cup.

Brazil fitness coach Fabio Mahseredjian had said before the training session that Neymar should be fully recovered after a pair of friendlies against Qatar and Honduras in early June.

But on Tuesday, which marked Brazil's first full training since players started gathering for the South American championship, Neymar had to leave and appeared to be in pain after taking a shot near the end of the session.

The Copa America starts on June 14 with host Brazil facing Bolivia in the opening match at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo. Venezuela and Peru are also in the same group.

Neymar has already been at the centre of attentions for Brazil’s build-up to the South American tournament after he was stripped of the national team captaincy at the start of the week by head coach Tite, who elected to replace the forward with his PSG teammate Dani Alves after his recent ill-discipline.

AP