Neymar in doubt: Knee injury could keep him out of Santos’ relegation

Neymar in doubt for Santos’ last matches

Brazilian star Neymar could miss the last three league games with Santos due to a knee injury. This is reported by sources close to the club. The forward was absent from the 1-1 draw against Internacional on Monday as a precautionary measure, after feeling pain in his left knee during the match with Mirassol on November 19. The tests carried out on Tuesday revealed an injury to Neymar’s left meniscus.

The player underwent surgery on his left knee two years ago to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus tear. Santos, which is in the relegation zone, has not yet confirmed Neymar’s latest injury, which would be his fourth physical setback since he returned to the club in January. However, the club president, Marcelo Teixeira, revealed that the player underwent tests on Tuesday and that Santos’ medical team is working against the clock to see if he can play in Friday’s league match against Sport.

An exam was done today in São Paulo. I spoke with the medical department and they are studying how I can be in this match [Sport]. The doctor himself hasn’t spoken with Neymar yet, he will speak with him tomorrow.

Marcelo Teixeira, president of Santos

The team is in the relegation zone, one point away from safety, with three matches remaining. Physical problems have prevented Neymar from playing regularly at Santos. With the Brazilian national team, he hasn’t played since October 2023, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer, hopes to play his fourth World Cup in 2026. The Brazilian coach, Carlo Ancelotti, recently said that Neymar needs to be in good physical shape to be considered for the selection.