June 21 (Reuters) – Scotland defender Jack Hendry said on Sunday he is not worried about the challenge of playing against Neymar if Brazil’s all-time top scorer is fit for Wednesday’s World Cup encounter.
“Yeah, no problem,” Hendry told reporters when asked about the possibility.
“I’m quite comfortable, obviously, coming up against Neymar, and I look forward to it. It should be a really good battle, and if he does play, then I look forward to it.”
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he expects Neymar, 34, to be available for their final Group C match in Miami after missing the first two games as he recovers from a calf injury.
Hendry, 31, played against Neymar in the Champions League in 2021 when the Scot was on the books of Club Brugge and the Brazilian was with Paris St Germain. The encounter ended 1-1.
The Scot represents Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia but did not come head to head with Neymar during his time in the kingdom after the Brazilian played only seven games for Al Hilal during an injury-ravaged spell.
Scotland have three points from their first two games and sit third in Group C with a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup knockout round for the first time, even if they lose to Brazil, thanks to the tournament’s new, expanded format.
Brazil have four points and are top of the group on goal difference ahead of Morocco, who face Haiti on Wednesday.
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