Neymar hails Santos training match, registers one goal and one assist | OneFootball

Neymar praised Santos’ training match against the club’s under-20s at CT Rei Pelé on Saturday morning, saying he finished with one goal and one assist.

The club did not release the scoreline or Cuca’s selection, and the match was played in two 45-minute halves. According to Globo.com, the session allowed the coach to experiment and assess his squad.

The forward said the run-out helped both the senior side and the youngsters, recalling his own academy pathway, and welcomed the chance to regain rhythm after a spell without games.

After starting against Corinthians and Internacional, he did not play in the draw with Cruzeiro last Sunday in the eighth round of the Brasileirão. He is expected to start against Remo on Thursday in the ninth round.

Neymar is following a tailored programme to manage his workload before Brazil’s final World Cup call-up. Carlo Ancelotti will name the squad on 18 May, with 14 Santos fixtures before then across the Copa do Brasil, Copa Sul-Americana and league.

Indications are he could feature in at least half, with plans adjusted depending on selection. If called up, the expectation is that he would not play for Santos after the list is published, to be ready for the 31 May friendly and subsequent games while aiming to avoid even minor muscle issues.

Source: Globo.com