Neymar bids to tackle Santos match marathon after nine months | OneFootball

Santos are banking on a refreshed Neymar to spark a turnaround across three competitions. According to Globo.com, coach Cuca left him out of the Copa Sudamericana defeat to Ecuador’s Deportivo Cuenca so he could work on fitness at CT Rei Pelé.

Cuca wants the No 10 involved through a congested run up to the World Cup break. Four straight games at Vila Belmiro follow, with hopes he features against Atlético-MG on 11 April, Deportivo Recoleta on 14, Fluminense on 19 and Coritiba on 22.

The last time he faced such a tight sequence was July last year. He now aims to repeat that push and perform well to keep alive his dream of a World Cup call from Carlo Ancelotti.

After a pause for the Club World Cup, Santos beat Fortaleza on 12 June, then only returned on 16 July against Flamengo at Vila Belmiro, where Neymar impressed and scored the winner.

The spell then brought ups and downs. At Mirassol on 19 July he was muted and gestured back at rival fans, then on 23 July against Internacional he was lively but denied by Rochet and VAR. He also traded words with supporters.

The sequence ended away to Sport on 26 July, where he orchestrated a draw as Santos struggled after Tomás Rincón’s late first half red. He then started against Juventude on 4 August, Cruzeiro on 10 August and Vasco on 17 August, before a third yellow meant suspension for Bahia.

Source: Globo.com