Santos coach confirms Neymar will be saved for San Lorenzo clash | OneFootball

Santos got off to a far worse start than expected in the Copa Sudamericana and, ahead of the visit to San Lorenzo, head coach Cuca revealed his decision to rest Neymar this weekend so he can be in top condition for next Tuesday’s match at the Nuevo Gasómetro.

After the 0-0 draw at Vila Belmiro against Coritiba in the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil, the Peixe manager confirmed that the former Barcelona and PSG star will not play this weekend against Bahia so he can be at his best for the visit to El Ciclón in the continental tournament: «Neymar has been doing well in sprints, distance covered, and kilometers run. Against Coritiba he was a little below his usual level, I think because of the recent schedule; no one can keep up that pace, on top of the emotional strain. Saturday is a different kind of match. There’s no time to rest».

«He won’t play on Saturday, so he’ll be in better shape for the match in Argentina, which is crucial for us. He’s also experiencing the team’s inconsistency, he feels it too. We can’t blame only him for the poor result. We have to share the blame fairly, and the biggest responsibility falls on the coach», Cuca confirmed.

Tuesday’s match is crucial for Santos’ hopes. The team lost its debut against Cuenca in Ecuador and drew 1-1 (with a goal from Ney) against Recoleta, which made the controversial decision beforehand not to call up any of its usual starters in order to prioritize its fight to avoid relegation. Once it became known that Peixe would visit the Nuevo Gasómetro, Neymar himself sent a message to El Ciclón fans: «Happy and excited for the challenges I have with Santos. Happy for the affection from the San Lorenzo fans. I’m sure they’ll put on a great celebration on match day. See you there», Ney said through his official X account.

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