Neymar misses Santos trip as rotation decision raises questions

Santos’ decision to leave Neymar out of the squad for the trip to Palmeiras has placed the veteran forward’s availability at the centre of attention. He had been included in the preliminary group for Wednesday’s first-leg Brazilian Cup fixture, but did not make the final selection. Questions followed over his physical condition and the synthetic surface at Nubank Parque.

Without Neymar, Santos were beaten 3-0 by Palmeiras. José Manuel López opened the scoring in the 34th minute, Andrés Pereira added a second shortly before half-time, and López completed his brace soon after the hour mark. The result leaves Santos facing a three-goal deficit from the first leg.

Santos sporting director Alexandre Mattos rejected the idea that an injury or the artificial pitch had caused Neymar’s omission. He said the forward was fully available and that the decision came from an agreed workload-management plan involving the coaching staff and club leadership. Mattos also noted that Neymar had previously played against Atlético-MG on a synthetic surface. The club’s position is that the absence was strategic rather than medical.