Prior to his transfer to Barcelona, many speculated the young Brazilian Neymar was not physically fit to play in Europe. Many pundits felt that the 21-year had a small frame that could be liability when playing against the fierce environment of European Soccer. The Barcelona medical team has confirmed this concern and even suggested that the youngster gain weight.
"My first impression is that Neymar needs to gain a pound or two. Our medical inspection was done quickly and his weight is just another data point," Barcelona's doctor Ricard Pruna stated on the team's website. "We'll get to know the player over the course of the season and we'll constantly add to our data input. With this information we'll know what his ideal weight should be. The first impression is that he weighs 64.5 kilos and he has a tendency to lose weight. Perhaps he needs to add a kilo or two, but I can't say exactly how many."
A strength disadvantage was highlighted during the Champions league. Despite superior possession, Barcelona struggled against teams with decided physical advantages. The team lost 2-0 in the opening leg against Milan in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, the team drew 3-3 in two matches against Paris Saint-Germain before being embarrassed 7-0 against Bayern Munich. The German club had the superior edge in the air thanks to its height and also competed with a more physical edge that wore down Barcelona.
Neymar was brought in to provide a secondary scoring threat to Lionel Messi, but the questions about his strength certainly beg the question of whether he will be a major factor against physical squads.
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