Neymar lively on Santos return, misses sitter in 6-0, eyes Paulistão push and Brazil recall | OneFootball

Neymar marked his first outing of the year for Santos with neat touches, audacious dribbles and a glaring miss in a 6-0 win over Velo Clube.

After 10 matches out with a left knee meniscus injury, he returned on Sunday in the Paulista’s final round at Vila Belmiro, coming on at half-time and playing the second half. According to Globo.com, he looked sharp and mobile, suggesting full recovery.

He produced two shots, 33 accurate passes with 12 misplaced, four successful dribbles and one unsuccessful attempt, but failed to beat the goalkeeper when clean through.

Operating mostly in advanced areas and drifting to the right, he favoured quick exchanges to evade tight marking, particularly late on. He showed frustration at some hefty challenges yet avoided any booking for dissent.

The forward can now influence a key stretch for Santos, who are still winless after three rounds of the Brasileirão. They also chase a Paulistão semi-final berth against Novorizontino this weekend.

A sustained run could aid his Brazil hopes, with Carlo Ancelotti due to name the next squad on 16 March for friendlies against France and Croatia. Neymar remains in contention but must demonstrate the fitness to match team-mates, with the final World Cup list set for 19 May.

Source: Globo.com