Scotland defender Jack Hendry embraces Neymar challenge against Brazil
Scotland defender Jack Hendry is relishing the prospect of facing a returning Neymar when his side take on Brazil in a crucial World Cup group stage match in Miami.
The national team currently sit third in their group after recording a victory over Haiti and suffering a defeat against Morocco.
Securing any points against Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded squad on Wednesday would provide a significant boost to their hopes of progression.
Familiar foes prepare for battle
The South American heavyweights are set to be strengthened by the recovery of their talismanic forward.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger initially arrived at the training camp carrying an injury but has now been declared fit for the tie.
Al Ettifaq centre-back Hendry has previously encountered the prolific attacker during his time at Club Brugge in the Champions League.
I’m quite comfortable coming up against Neymar and I look forward to it. It should be a really good battle.
Tactical shifts and injury updates
Ancelotti has hinted that the returning star may be deployed in a central role rather than operating on his traditional flank.
His likelihood of featuring prominently has increased following a hamstring injury sustained by Barcelona wide man Raphinha.
Hendry acknowledged the severe anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined the Brazilian while playing for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Played against him once in the Champions League when he was at Paris Saint-Germain, so that was a good test. Learnt a lot from these moments playing these top-calibre players, so I look forward to it and we’ll see if he plays.
Brazilian camp lifted by return
The mood within the Selecao squad has been noticeably elevated by the presence of their veteran attacking focal point.
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta expressed his delight at seeing his compatriot back in full training.
Neymar is a very important player for the Brazilian national team. He has an extraordinary history with this shirt and he can still help us a lot.
The pivotal encounter in Miami is scheduled to kick off at 23:00 BST on Wednesday.
