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Neymar’s hopes of securing a place in Brazil’s squad for the upcoming World Cup have hit another hurdle following his absence from Santos training on Sunday.
The striker was a notable absence at CT Rei Pele as the team prepares for continental competition after being sidelined with a viral infection.
Viral infection sidelines Brazil star
Santos have confirmed that Neymar was unable to take part in Sunday’s training at CT Rei Pelé due to illness.
The 34-year-old was expected to join team-mates who did not travel for Saturday’s league game against Bahia, but he remained sidelined as the squad prepare for the Copa Sudamericana competition.
Santos released an official statement to clarify the situation following concerns over his whereabouts on Sunday morning.
“The athlete Neymar Jr. presented a viral condition on Saturday night, was medicated, responded well and continues to be monitored by the Santos medical department,” the club said.
Decisive week for Peixe and Neymar
The timing of the illness is far from ideal for both player and club. Santos are currently preparing for a crucial Copa Sudamericana clash against San Lorenzo in Argentina, scheduled for Tuesday.
Neymar’s participation remains in doubt as he struggles to recover from the infection in time for the trip to Buenos Aires. Neymar was meant to work alongside other high-profile teammates such as Gabigol, Willian Arao and Igor Vinicius.
These players were also absent from the match against Bahia but are expected to be available for selection under manager Cuca for the trip to Argentina.
World Cup ambitions in the spotlight
Any minor setback for Neymar is now seen through the lens of his international future. With the World Cup looming, the forward is under intense pressure to prove his physical reliability and combativeness.
Missing training sessions, even due to illness, disrupts the rhythm he needs to convince the national team’s coaching staff.
While the club suggest he has responded well to medication, the optics of another absence add to the tale of a stop-start season for the legendary No.10.
Neymar’s plan remains to meet with the rest of the Santos squad in Buenos Aires on Monday, provided his health improves sufficiently in the next 24 hours.
Upcoming schedule and recovery
The Santos group that faced Bahia have been training at Vitoria’s facilities, with those who played on Saturday undergoing recovery work at their hotel.
The integration of Neymar and the rest of the returning stars is seen as crucial to the club’s chances in the Sudamericana, where they face an intimidating atmosphere in San Lorenzo.
After the continental showdown, Santos face a grueling schedule that includes a massive Serie A clash against Palmeiras on May 2 and another away trip to face Paraguay’s Recoleta on May 5.
