Waiting for Neymar, Santos near full squad for nine finals | OneFootball

Santos is waiting for Neymar to finally clear the medical department and have the full squad available for the “nine finals” remaining in the fight against relegation in the Brazilian Championship, as stated by Barreal after the draw against Botafogo.

Neymar is the only player in Santos' medical department. The forward is recovering from a rectus femoris muscle injury in his right thigh, announced by the club on September 19th. He hasn't played since the 1-1 draw against Atlético-MG in the 23rd round of Serie A.

The number 10 has been working fully to return and strengthen Peixe as soon as possible. During his treatment, almost daily, the star shared photos of his physical activities at the CT Rei Pelé gym, alongside the club's physiotherapists, and also of his work with his personal medical team.

Last Tuesday, Neymar began the physical transition process and took another step towards returning to the field. The attacking midfielder worked with the ball and entered the final phase of recovery.

Recently, coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda commented on Neymar's recovery. The Argentine coach avoided setting a date for the attacking midfielder's return but viewed the star's progress positively, as he started working on the field last week.

“Neymar is working on the field. He hasn't stopped working, but, like any recovery, he spent a lot of time in the gym with the physiotherapists. Now he's on the field. And that pleases me. But we won't rush. We'll wait. He's a player we care about and we know what he means to us,” said Vojvoda.

Vojvoda had Neymar available in only two matches since taking charge of the team in August this year. The star played only in the draws against Fluminense, where he completed the 90 minutes, and against Atlético-MG, when he was substituted around the 35th minute of the second half.

Since returning to Santos, the number 1 has been dealing with a series of physical problems and struggling to string together a longer series of matches. In 2025, the star has scored six goals and provided three assists in 21 matches.

Santos aims to have a full squad for “finals”

Awaiting Neymar, Santos seeks to have the full squad available for the nine “finals” it will face in the Brazilian Championship. Peixe is still fighting to avoid relegation and has nine more rounds to prevent what would be its second relegation to Serie B.

Since arriving at Santos, Vojvoda hasn't faced a crowded medical department, as the team had at other times of the year, for example. The coach, however, had to deal with occasional absences. Upon his arrival, for example, he didn't have Willian Arão for the first three matches.

Then, he recovered the midfielder but lost two young players: Bontempo and Victor Hugo, both with muscle injuries in the thigh. Meanwhile, in recent days, Rincón suffered a calf edema but also recovered. Thus, Santos' medical department currently only includes Neymar.

With a full squad, Vojvoda expands the range of options in all positions and has more alternatives to seek solutions in the attempt to avoid Santos' relegation in this final stretch of the Brasileirão. Neymar's return, in this sense, could be the ‘icing on the cake’.

Santos' position in the standings

With the draw against Botafogo, Santos remains in 16th place, now with 32 points, one more than Vitória, who lost to Corinthians and opens the relegation zone.

Upcoming Santos matches

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