Cuca to speak with Neymar to keep him for Santos’ key matches | OneFootball

Cuca says he will speak with Neymar to keep the forward available for Santos in decisive fixtures this season, amid concern over his spate of yellow cards.

According to Globo.com, Neymar sat out the match against Athletico-PR after an automatic one-game ban, triggered by his third booking in the meeting with Chapecoense.

The coach underlined Neymar’s importance and said he should not be missing for major games, adding that Santos’ finishing would likely have been sharper with him on the pitch.

Across 19 appearances this season, Neymar has collected nine yellow cards, already eclipsing last year’s eight in 28 outings, one of which became a red for a second caution against Botafogo in the Brasileirão.

In the current Campeonato Brasileiro, besides the Athletico-PR absence, he also missed the 10th-round game against Flamengo due to accumulation.

In the Copa do Brasil, the No 10 will enter the quarter-finals one booking from suspension after cautions against Coritiba and Remo, with Santos’ opponents to be decided on Tuesday in a CBF draw.

In 2026, Neymar has eight goals and five assists for Santos, making him the team’s second top scorer.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”