Steve Clarke has told Scotland to prepare for Neymar in Miami on Wednesday, with Brazil’s forward expected to return from injury in the Group C finale. The Scotland manager said Neymar’s presence would change the match whether he starts or comes off the bench.
That is why the question, Is Neymar Playing Against Scotland, has become the one Scotland cannot ignore before kickoff. Clarke called Neymar one of the superstars of the modern era and said his qualities were beyond question, while also warning that even a place on the bench would still give Brazil a lift because he is such an icon.
For Scotland, the timing matters. A point will almost certainly secure a knockout stage place, so the match is not just about surviving Brazil’s attack but about doing enough to keep control of their own path forward. Clarke said Scotland must be ready for a dangerous opponent, and he made clear he could talk all day about Brazil because the threat does not stop with one player.
Andy Robertson said he had no preference over whether Neymar starts, noting that Brazil have quality in every position and that it is up to Carlo Ancelotti who plays. He pointed to Brazil’s full attacking spread, saying he could name players across the side, and added that Scotland’s job is simply to prepare as well as they can for one of the best teams in the world.
The uncertainty over Neymar’s role is only part of the picture. Clarke said Scotland had already made a plan in case thunder and lightning interrupt the match, after a game on Monday in Philadelphia was delayed for more than two hours by a lightning storm. He said the forecast left open the possibility of rain disruptions and described the waiting rules as something that can keep rolling on if delays begin.
There is also a Scotland issue of its own. Aaron Hickey was missing for the 1-0 loss to Morocco, but Clarke said he will hopefully get himself ready for the knockout stages, while everybody else is fit and raring to go. That leaves Scotland with one eye on Neymar, one eye on the weather and one eye on what comes after Wednesday, when the group picture should finally be clearer.
