Santos, who are deeply committed to avoiding relegation, will have a crucial match this Thursday when they visit Palmeiras in the 32nd round of the Brasileirão, although they will not be able to count on Neymar for an unusual reason. The absence of the best Brazilian player in recent years is due, according to Brazilian media, to the fact that the artificial turf of Allianz Parque could cause joint pain in his knees. In this way, Santos would not have Neymar among their called-up players, who two years ago entered a spiral of injuries from which he is finding it very difficult to recover. It all began at the end of 2023, when he suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a match corresponding to the South American Qualifiers against Uruguay. After nearly a year of recovery, Neymar thrilled all Santos fans with his return to the club after 11 and a half years, although this entire situation was overshadowed by recurring injuries to his right thigh. Since his return to Santos, Neymar has only played 20 matches, in which he scored seven goals and provided four assists. Santos sits 16th in the Brasileirão with only 33 points and is two points from the relegation zone, so a defeat against Palmeiras, who are currently the leaders, could seriously complicate their situation. As if that were not enough, it has recently emerged that the head coach of Brazil, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, has no plans for the forward to wear the 'Verdeamarelha' again due to his very poor physical condition, which would prevent him from competing at the top level at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
