Neymar to miss crucial relegation clash as Santos face Palmeiras | OneFootball

Santos, which is deeply involved in the fight to avoid relegation, will have a crucial match this Thursday when they visit Palmeiras in the 32nd round of the Brasileirao, although they will not be able to count on Neymar for an unusual reason.

The absence of the best Brazilian player in recent years is due, according to Brazilian media, to the fact that the synthetic turf at Allianz Parque could cause him joint pain in his knees.

As a result, Santos will not have Neymar among its squad, who two years ago entered a spiral of injuries from which he is struggling to recover. It all began at the end of 2023, when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a South American Qualifiers match against Uruguay.

After nearly a year of recovery, Neymar raised the hopes of all Santos fans with his return to the club after 11 and a half years, although the whole situation has been overshadowed by recurring injuries to his right thigh.

Since his return to Santos, Neymar has only played 20 matches, in which he scored seven goals and provided four assists.

Santos is currently 16th in the Brasileirao with only 33 points and is just two points away from the relegation zone, so a defeat against Palmeiras, who are currently the leaders, could seriously complicate their situation.

As if that weren’t enough, in recent days it has emerged that the coach of Brazil, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, does not plan for the forward to wear the “Verdeamarelha” again due to his very poor physical condition, which would prevent him from competing at the highest level in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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