Ronaldo asks Neymar to concentrate on recovery

Kolkata, March 12: Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo had asked injured Neymar to focus on his well-being and guard himself from resultant pressure.

Neymar is the backbone of Brazil national team. Recently, the Paris Saint-Germain forward suffered a serious injury as his fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot was fractured during a Ligue 1 match against archrivals Marseille.

Estou triste pela derrota, muito mais triste por não estar em campo ajudando meus companheiros!! O que me deixa orgulhoso é ver o esforço de todos. Parabéns mon gars, ALLEZ PARIS 🤙🏽 pic.twitter.com/wIUiA0nPkw

— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) March 6, 2018

However, after the successful surgery, Neymar is expected be fit in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup beginning in Russia on June 14.

Ronaldo, who was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning squad, had suffered a similar injury to that of Neymar in the run-up to the quadrennial extravaganza.

"He (Neymar) needs to focus on his well-being and protect himself from the pressure as much as possible," Ronaldo said at a Nike pomotional event.

Ronaldo is also sure that Neymar will feature in Russia and recover quicker than him. "I'm sure that his recovery will be much quicker than mine and he'll be at the World Cup."

The legendary footballer is hopeful of a good show from Brazil in Russia.

"I've got a good feeling about the Brazilian team. They've been through tough times but the last few years they've done incredible work and gained confidence. Neymar's injury is unfortunate, but I'm convinced that he'll be back for the summer and we can count on other very good players," added Ronaldo, whose 15 goals is the second most in World Cup history, one less than Germany's Miroslav Klose.

The last time Brazil won the World Cup was in the 2002 edition co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, where Ronaldo won the Golden Boot for scoring eight goals in the tournament.

"It's incredible, fantastic, and unique. You don't work for medals because football is a team sport and winning is the result of a collective effort, the gift after all the effort," Ronaldo recalled about the 2002 World Cup where Brazil beat Germany 2-0 in the final.