Santos boss explains Neymar absence, coy on return for Flamengo clash | OneFootball

Coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda explained the absence of Neymar in the classic match between Santos and Palmeiras, this Thursday at Allianz Parque, for the 32nd round of the Brazilian Championship. Peixe was defeated 2-0 and remained in the relegation zone.

The coach explained that he chose to rest the number 10 due to his recent thigh injury and also because of the synthetic pitch at Allianz. He wants to have the “best version” of Neymar for the final stretch of the season and trusts that the star will help the team avoid relegation to Série B.

“Regarding Neymar, we know his situation, that he was coming back from an injury, we want the best version of him. There are more games ahead. This was already decided, it’s a difficult pitch to play on. He was coming off an injury, and has a particular issue with the pitch. The player needs to be convinced to play under these conditions. From now on, we will count on him. I trust him a lot, and the players in this squad,” said Vojvoda.

(Photo: Raul Baretta/Santos FC)

Will Neymar face Flamengo?

The Argentine coach was mysterious about Neymar’s participation in Santos’ next match, against Flamengo. Vojvoda said he will still meet with the player to decide how many minutes he can play at Maracanã. The tendency is for the star to be available.

“I have to analyze with my staff and with the player, analyze the strategy, the moment. He trained normally yesterday, today he also worked at the training center with youth players. Tomorrow he will join the group, train again, and we’ll meet him on Saturday. The decision is mine, but I always talk to the players and then decide,” he stated.

The Alvinegro squad will remain in São Paulo after the classic and will travel to Rio de Janeiro on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the eve of the match against the Rubro-Negro, the group will hold a training session in the capital of Rio.

Neymar’s physical condition

Neymar is already recovered from the muscle injury in his right thigh that kept him off the pitch for almost two months. In fact, Santos’ number 10 came on in the second half of the match against Fortaleza last Saturday at Vila Belmiro and helped Alvinegro Praiano secure a 1-1 draw.

However, Vojvoda’s coaching staff chose to rest him for the match against Palmeiras. The star has already publicly spoken out against the synthetic pitch. Furthermore, his last injury occurred precisely after the match against Atlético-MG, on the artificial turf at Arena MRV.

Santos’ next match

Standings situation

With the defeat to Palmeiras, Santos remains in the relegation zone of the Brasileirão. Peixe is in 17th place on the table, with 33 points, one less than Vitória, the first team outside the Z4. In addition, Alvinegro Praiano has now gone four matches without a win in the tournament.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.