Neymar explains absence against Cruzeiro, recalls last Brasileirão run-in | OneFootball

Recovered after dealing with injuries at the start of the season, forward Neymar revealed details behind his injuries. The Santos star explained his absence from the match against Cruzeiro, before the FIFA international break, and also recalled the final stretch of the last Brasileirão, when he played with a meniscus injury.

“After the game against Inter, I felt my hamstring was a little heavy. The doctor said I should be rested and not take any risks. I agreed, I didn’t feel comfortable playing in that situation,” Neymar revealed on his YouTube channel.

Neymar’s absence was announced by Cuca in his debut press conference. The forward complained of thigh pain and underwent workload tests during the period. Whether because of the meniscus injury or the thigh pain, Santos’ No. 10 has already missed 12 of the team’s 17 games this season.

“On the field, I’m the kind of guy who can’t hold back — I always want to give my all in everything. It’s really bad to play with that on your mind. That’s why I chose not to play,” the forward explained.

“It caused a whole uproar, but that’s part of it. People are going to talk — there’s no way around it. But that’s the truth,” he added.

Final stretch of the Brazilian Championship

Alongside Ricardo, his personal trainer, Neymar also looked back on the final stretch of last season. Santos’ No. 10 revealed that he played injured in the last four matches of the Brasileirão, a period in which the club was fighting relegation.

Neymar spoke about his training routine, saying he spent most of his time in the gym. “They were games we needed to win, so I hardly trained on the field. I only trained one day before the game; the rest of the time, I stayed in the gym, just doing strength work. In Brazil, it’s very complicated to balance specific training sessions and playing at the same time,” the player said.

“Today, we already understand that he is already at a very good performance level, and can still improve even more,” Ricardo added, highlighting the forward’s physical progress.

Santos’ situation in the Brasileirão

After drawing with Cruzeiro, Santos reached seven points and moved out of the relegation zone. The team is in 16th place, one point ahead of Botafogo, who are 17th.

Santos’ next match

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