Neymar’s Santos return reportedly delayed to avoid injury setback with Brazil return on the horizon

With the Brazil friendlies in less than two months, Neymar’s return with Santos has been reportedly delayed to avoid an injury setback.

Neymar‘s fitness has been one of the main storylines for Santos at the start of 2026, with the star beginning a recovery process to address the meniscus injury he suffered last year. Despite now training alongside the team, Neymar’s return to the pitch has reportedly been postponed to avoid a setback and ensure he is fit to rejoin the Brazil national team.

After undergoing surgery in December, Neymar has not appeared in any of the nine games Santos has played since the start of the year. The former Barcelona star has progressed steadily and is now taking part in training sessions with the rest of his teammates, but stadium conditions have led to his return being delayed.

As reported by Globo Esporte, Santos has decided to rest Neymar for Thursday’s Brasileirao game against Athletico Paranaense. The primary reason is the synthetic surface at Arena da Baixada, the opponent’s stadium, as the club looks to avoid any potential injury risk to its star.

The same situation applies to marquee signing Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa, who, unlike Neymar, did not participate in Wednesday’s training session and is dealing with muscle soreness. That leaves Santos without two key players after opening the 2026 Brazilian top-flight season with one draw and one loss.

While Neymar has already recovered from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, skipping matches played on synthetic surfaces has been team policy since last season. Back on November 6, with the Peixe still in the relegation zone, the forward missed a match against Palmeiras that ended in a 2-0 defeat, as Allianz Parque uses turf.

After his standout performances helped Santos avoid relegation, Neymar’s last appearance came against Cruzeiro on December 7, meaning he has now gone more than two months without game action. His return is currently expected on Sunday the 15th, when Santos hosts Velo Clube in the final round of the Campeonato Paulista.

Will Neymar make it back to the Brazil national team?

With seven matches in the Campeonato Paulista and two in the Brasileirao already played, Neymar has missed nine games, and if he also sits out against Athletico Paranaense, that total will rise to 10. With the March international break less than two months away, questions are growing about whether the 34-year-old star will finally make his return to the national team.

Brazil, coached by Carlo Ancelotti, is set to travel to the United States to face France on the 26th and Croatia on the 31st. Before then, Santos has matches against Velo Clube, Vasco da Gama (02/26), Mirassol (03/10), Corinthians (03/15), Internacional (03/18), and Cruzeiro (03/22) — six opportunities, or possibly five given the tight schedule, for Neymar to convince the Italian manager to call him up and return to the Canarinha after more than two years.