Vojvoda hails Neymar’s Santos return but keeps quiet on starting role | OneFootball

Juan Pablo Vojvoda praised Neymar’s comeback for Santos but stopped short of confirming a starting role in the immediate future.

According to Diario Do Peixe, the number 10 came on at half-time in a 6-0 win against Velo Clube at Vila Belmiro, the final round of the Paulistão first phase.

He said changes are tied to match strategy after reviewing player recovery and the opponent. Neymar had shown rhythm, but they wanted him in an official game, so he played 50 minutes and they will now prepare for next week.

It was Neymar’s first outing of the year. He helped stave off relegation late last season, then had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on 22 December, began transition work at the end of January and has trained with the squad for about two weeks.

The staff have been cautious to maximise his performances with a view to a World Cup call-up, his main objective. He still has several Santos games before Carlo Ancelotti names his squad for the final FIFA window in March ahead of June’s tournament.

This year he renewed with Santos until the end of December. He returned last year, endured three muscle injuries, yet still produced 12 goals and six assists in 30 matches in 2025.

Source: Diario Do Peixe