Without Neymar, Cuca leads first Santos training with eyes on Cruzeiro | OneFootball

Santos has advanced in its preparation for the match against Cruzeiro, scheduled for this Sunday at 4 PM (Brasília time), for the Brazilian Championship. The Peixe squad trained at CT Rei Pelé on Friday afternoon, for the first time under the guidance of Cuca, who was officially introduced as the new team coach afterward.

Despite the arrival of the coach, Santos fans have a reason to worry. This is because Neymar did not participate in the activities with the rest of the group and, as Cuca confirmed, he will be absent for the match against Cruzeiro.

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According to the coach, the number 10 will be preserved due to workload management. He has already played in two matches this week and cannot take the field in a third due to the risk of injury.

More Absences and Possible Return

Besides the star, Gabriel Bontempo continues treatment after a muscle strain and is unlikely to be available. Additionally, Vinícius Lira is also confirmed out after a knee ligament injury.

Gabigol and Lautaro Díaz also cannot face Cruzeiro, as they were loaned by the Minas Gerais team. On the other hand, Zé Rafael may be a reinforcement after recovering from a thigh edema.

Standings Situation

Against Cruzeiro, Santos aims to recover from the tough defeat to Internacional at Vila Belmiro and return to winning ways in the Brasileirão. Peixe is 16th in the standings, with six points, and hasn't won in the competition for three games. The last victory was against Vasco, almost a month ago.

Next Match

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