Brazilian player Neymar has suffered another injury setback after Santos confirmed that the Brazilian star has a grade 2B thigh injury. Neymar picked up the injury during Santos’ 0-0 draw against Palmeiras in Copa do Brasil. He felt discomfort towards the end of the first half and was taken off at half-time. Tests later confirmed muscle injury, which is expected to keep him out for at least a month. Depending on his recovery, he could be sidelined for up to two months.
The injury comes as another frustrating blow for Neymar, who has struggled to stay fit consistently in recent seasons. He had only recently returned from another injury and was starting to get back into regular action for Santos. Now, he is expected to miss several important games, including Santos’ upcoming Brasileirão matches and Copa Sudamericana quarter-final against Atlético Mineiro. Santos will have to manage without their biggest star during the busy part of the season. For Neymar, focus will now be on recovering properly rather than rushing back, especially with another muscle injury adding to his growing list of fitness problems.
Neymar blasts Santos pitch after Copa do Brasil exit in match against Palmeiras
Neymar was visibly frustrated after Santos were knocked out of Copa do Brasil by Palmeiras, and he did not hold back when talking about conditions at Vila Belmiro. Santos drew 0-0 in the second leg but went out 3-0 on aggregate after losing the first leg. Neymar also left at half-time after feeling pain in his thigh, making the night even more frustrating for him. After the match, he took to social media and criticised the state of the pitch, saying it was full of holes after work had been carried out just a day before the game.
Neymar wrote, “I wanted to congratulate our field manager at Vila Belmiro. Yesterday was the worst field we’ve had, full of holes because they did decompaction the day before the match. UNBELIEVABLE!” He then explained how difficult conditions were for players, “Besides playing against the opponent, we played against the field. And on top of that we had to put in more effort in the starts and the runs because the field was uneven. It’s no coincidence that three players felt discomfort in the first half.” Neymar’s frustration ended with an angry sarcastic remark, “Congratulations, huh… great fucking job.” His comments came after he himself suffered thigh discomfort during the first half, while Lucas Veríssimo and Barreal also felt problems during the match.
