Desperate Ney! Neymar defies Santos doctors, trains despite injury scare

Neymar is eager to get back to full fitness as the Brazil international is spotted in Santos training despite reportedly being told by club doctors that he risks worsening his injury.

The former PSG star has a knee issue that will rule him out for the rest of the season if he has surgery. But with the Brazilian outfit in the midst of a relegation battle, the 33-year-old may try and play through the pain to secure his team top-flight safety.

Earlier this week, it emerged that Neymar had been struggling with knee discomfort, ruling him out of their 1-1 draw with Internacional on Monday.

Santos currently sit one place above the relegation zone (17th) in the Brasileiro Serie A with three matches remaining. Shortly after picking up that valuable point, Santos manager Juan Pablo Vojvoda revealed what the club have planned for their “leader”.

Neymar Junior  celebrates after scoring the team´s first goal during the Brasileirao 2025 match between Santos and Mirassol at Estadio Urbano Caldeira on November 19, 2025 in Santos, Brazil. (Photo by Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images)

He told reporters: “The plan is for him to be in the match against Sport. I have to talk to him, I’m not in his physical presence and I will respect Neymar’s decisions. But his commitment is to be there, he always wants to be there. Before the Mirassol game, he felt discomfort in his knee. He also felt it during the game. The following day he was experiencing significant discomfort in that knee. We know we have games every three days. With travel, we’ll arrive in Santos tomorrow afternoon… He’s a player we need for all three rounds and he’ll help us. He’s our leader on the field. He’ll be there. He felt he wouldn’t be able to meet the demands of today’s game.”

However, footage from Santos has shown that Neymar trained with his team-mates on Wednesday but it is clear he is not at 100 per cent.

According to Globo, Neymar has a tear in the meniscus region of his left knee and the medical recommendation is to have an arthroscopy – a minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves inserting a small camera into a joint through a tiny incision.

This allows the surgeon to see inside the joint on a video monitor and perform necessary repairs. This injury is said to be causing Neymar ‘persistent pain’ when exercising but he is considering playing ‘in the sacrifice’ of Santos.