Brazil need Neymar to 'unbalance' opponents as Danilo explains why Selecao are desperate for injury-plagued star's return

Neymar remains a major talking point in the Brazil camp despite missing their 1-1 draw against Morocco in their World Cup opener. The forward is recovering from a calf injury suffered while playing for Santos in May and is still working towards full fitness.

There have been encouraging signs this week. After initially returning to individual training, Neymar has progressed to ball work alongside his team-mates and was welcomed back into the group with a traditional "tunnel of fire". However, Brazil's coaching staff are reportedly taking a cautious approach. The Santos star remains a doubt for the upcoming clash with Haiti as they seek to avoid aggravating his recent muscular issues.

Speaking at a press conference, Danilo explained why Neymar remains so important to Brazil's plans. The veteran defender stressed the belief within the squad that Neymar's influence goes beyond goals and assists, forcing opponents to change their defensive plans and creating chances for others.

"If you have a player like Neymar, the opponents become more tense and ask for help to mark him," Danilo told reporters. "So, with two players marking him, someone from our team will be alone. This can help a lot. Just being on the field, he can unbalance the opponent. We need to deal with reality, of course. We hope he's well and can help us. His quality has already been proven."

Brazil head into their meeting with Haiti after a disappointing draw against Morocco, leaving them third in Group C and under pressure to respond. Despite expectations that Brazil should comfortably win, Danilo warned against underestimating their opponents.

He said: "Did you see how Cape Verde defended against Spain? It's a matter of giving your all for every ball, defending the result and playing beautifully. Brazil needs to enter the game tactically well-positioned, play a safe game, control the match and seek victory. But we can't think about a blowout. It's disrespectful. We can't expect to have the ball at our feet, we have to show that we want the result."

Brazil's next challenge is a must-win encounter with Haiti in Philadelphia as they attempt to strengthen their position in Group C. The result could have a significant impact on their hopes of progressing comfortably to the next stage. Meanwhile, Neymar will remain focused on his recovery although he is unlikely to feature in the match against Haiti.