Overview
- Neymar had a knee procedure during the international break, with Santos coach Cuca saying he skipped training and then spent four to five days in recovery.
- Multiple outlets report the treatment was platelet-rich plasma, a therapy that uses a player’s own blood to speed healing of small injuries in the joint.
- Cuca said the club built a recharge plan to prepare Neymar for a 13-game run into mid-year, which included managed absences from recent Santos matches.
- Ancelotti left Neymar out of Brazil’s latest friendlies and has stressed he will only call players who are fully fit for the 2026 World Cup squad.
- Neymar, 34, has worked back from an ACL and meniscus tear in October 2023 and a minor procedure that December, posting three goals and three assists in six games for Santos.