Neymar named in Santos squad for crunch clash with Fortaleza | OneFootball

Santos released, on Friday night, the list of players for the direct clash against Fortaleza, valid for the 32nd round of the Brazilian Championship. The main news is Neymar, who has recovered from a rectus femoris muscle injury in his right thigh.

Neymar returns to the squad list for the first time since September 14, when he played for 81 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Atlético-MG in Serie A.

The star trained with the rest of the squad in tactical drills this Friday at CT Rei Pelé. Previously, he had been doing ball work but without physical contact with the other players. Now, after being cleared by the medical department, he returns to the squad.

The tendency, however, is that Neymar will not start as a starter. The star is expected to play only a few minutes in the second half, as the team still exercises caution with his return.

Neymar is Santos' main hope in this final stretch of the season. The Alvinegro Praiano is still fighting against relegation and hopes to count on the star's help on the field to avoid the drop. In 2025, he has scored six goals and provided three assists in 21 games.

More updates

Other updates in Santos' squad list include the absence of Mayke and the inclusion of JP Chermont. The experienced right-back has inflammation in his right knee and will be out. The young player is expected to be an option on the bench.

Meanwhile, midfielder Tomás Rincón has also been called up again and strengthens the midfield. Defenders João Basso and Luisão, on the other hand, were left out due to a technical decision by coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda's staff.

See the Santos squad list:

Santos' standings situation

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.