Neymar Faces Uncertainty Due to Knee Injury Ahead of Critical Matches

World Cup hopeful Neymar may miss Santos’ final three league matches of the season due to a knee injury, as reported by ESPN.

The Brazilian forward did not participate in Monday’s 1-1 draw against Internacional, opting to rest after experiencing pain in his left knee during the match against Mirassol on November 19th.

Subsequent tests conducted on Tuesday confirmed that Neymar, 33, has sustained a left meniscus injury. This is particularly concerning as he previously underwent surgery on his left knee to reconstruct an ACL tear and repair a torn meniscus two years ago.

While Santos has not officially acknowledged Neymar’s latest injury, which marks his fourth fitness issue since returning to the club in January, club president Marcelo Teixeira shared that the player underwent tests on Tuesday. Teixeira mentioned that the medical team is racing against time to determine if Neymar can participate in Friday’s match against Sport.

“He had an exam today in São Paulo,” Teixeira stated. “I spoke with the medical department, and they are exploring ways for him to be available for this game against Sport. The doctor has yet to communicate with Neymar, but they will do so tomorrow.

“There will be a meeting tomorrow morning to assess the situation. We will investigate how we can postpone any necessary procedures to allow Neymar to contribute to the Brazilian Championship.”

Currently, Santos are positioned in the relegation zone, just one place and one point shy of safety with three games left in the season.

Neymar’s fitness issues have hindered his regular playtime at Santos, and he has not represented Brazil since October 2023, when he suffered an ACL injury.

As Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, Neymar is eager to participate in his fourth World Cup in 2026. Brazil’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has emphasized the importance of Neymar maintaining good physical condition to be considered for the squad.