Brazilian told he needs surgery but wants play on through the pain to help secure Santos’ survival
Neymar has returned to training with Santos to help the club fight relegation, despite medical concerns over a knee injury that could keep him out long term if it worsens.
The 33-year-old missed Santos’ 1-1 draw away to Internacional on Monday, after experiencing pain in his left knee. But he was seen back on the training pitch later in the week, albeit clearly far from full fitness.
Santos have three league matches remaining and sit just one point above the drop zone.
According to reports in Brazil, Santos’ medical staff have advised Neymar that surgery would be the safest option. But the recommended arthroscopic procedure to address a meniscus tear would likely sideline him for around a month, thereby ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.
Neymar is weighing up whether to play on through the pain to help secure Santos’ survival.
Head coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda said discussions with the forward are ongoing and stressed that the final decision will be made carefully.
“The plan is for him to be in the match against Sport,” Vojvoda said. “I have to talk to him, and I will respect Neymar’s decisions. But his commitment is to be there, he always wants to be there.
“He’s a player we need for all three rounds. He’ll help us. He’s our leader on the field.”
Medical sources in Brazil say the injury is causing persistent discomfort and carries a risk of worsening with impact. During training, Neymar avoided contact and wore heavy strapping on his left knee.
If the injury were to worsen, the Brazilian could risk missing out on his last remaining hopes of joining Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.
Neymar returned to Santos in January 2025 but has struggled with injuries. He recently came back from a hamstring issue, but that was in his other leg. The knee he is dealing with now is the same one that required surgery two years ago for an ACL and meniscus injury.
Santos president Marcelo Teixeira was unsure if Neymar would be able to keep playing, and said the only thing they could do now was “expect and hope”.
“I’m not a doctor,” Teixeira said. “He trained, trained well, didn’t feel anything, we’ll evaluate him again.
“There’s a possibility, that’s the expectation, without any kind of sacrifice, nothing that would harm the player or Santos.”
