Neymar Forced to Play in Pain: Santos in Danger of Relegation

Neymar, the Brazilian star, is willing to play despite the pain to help Santos in their fight against relegation, according to sources close to the player. The Brazilian striker missed the 1-1 draw against Internacional as a precautionary measure due to discomfort in his left knee, suffered in the match against Mirassol on November 19. Sources report that Neymar, 33 years old, will likely need arthroscopic surgery at the end of the season to treat a meniscus injury in his left knee. Despite medical recommendations, Neymar trained on Wednesday with Santos and could be included in the team for Friday’s league match against Sport.

Although Neymar wants to play, Santos’ medical department has advised against his participation. They want Neymar to continue with conservative treatment so he can return for Santos’ last two league matches against Juventude and Cruzeiro. The president of Santos, Marcelo Teixeira, is optimistic about Neymar’s participation on Friday, but insists that no decision will be made that could affect the player’s health. It’s a matter of expectation and hope. I am not a doctor, nor do I follow the decisions, which should be exclusive to the health department. As I said, he trained, he trained well, he felt nothing, we will evaluate him again. It is not the board that evaluates, it is the club’s professionals who evaluate this. Santos is in the relegation zone, one point and one position away from safety. Neymar underwent surgery on his left knee to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a torn meniscus two years ago. The Brazilian international, who hopes to play his fourth World Cup next year, has had physical problems since returning to his childhood club in January.