Neymar completes 1st team practice with Barcelona since injuring back

Neymar prepares to take a free kick during Brazil’s opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Croatia. Photo courtesy of Agência Brasil / Wikimedia Commons.

BARCELONA, Spain—Neymar has returned to team training with Barcelona for the first time since fracturing a vertebra in his back at the World Cup.

Barcelona says Neymar completed his first full training session with the rest of the team on Wednesday, although he has not yet been cleared by team doctors to play games.

The Brazil star hurt his back in a collision with a Colombian defender during the World Cup quarterfinals last month, ruling him out of the rest of the competition. Without him, Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany in the semifinals.

Barcelona hosts Elche on Aug. 24 in the opening match of the Spanish league season.