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Brazil has 'plan B' for Neymar

Xinhua, April 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

Brazil will adopt contingency plans for Neymar's Copa America preparations if Barcelona advance to the UEFA Champions League final, the Selecao's team doctor said on Friday.

Barcelona need to defeat Bayern Munich over two legs to qualify for the final of Europe's top club competition in Berlin on June 6.P The Catalan club's appearance in the decider would almost certainly rule Neymar out of Brazil's friendly against Mexico in Sao Paulo on June 7.

The Selecao will then face Honduras in Porto Alegre three days later, their last hit-out before the Copa America, to be played in Chile from June 11 to July 4.

"We are going to have to deal with the situation," Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar told Globoesporte.

"If there are cases where players can't arrive as scheduled we are going to have to work differently with them. This type of thing is always done with the national team.

"It's still too early to talk about what might happen. We will only make that decision when we know if there will be players who can't arrive as scheduled. But we have a plan A and a plan B."

The Selecao will begin their Copa America campaign against Peru on June 14 before also meeting Colombia and Venezuela in the group phase.

Brazil could also be without Real Madrid left-back Marcelo for the Mexico friendly should the Spanish side defeat Juventus in the other Champions League semifinal.

Selecao coach Dunga will announce his 23-man Copa America squad on May 5. Endi