Why is Neymar Playing in Santos vs Sport Recife Despite Injury?

Neymar Jr has been one of the most gifted players in world football, who revolutionised the way of playing football. His samba flair was a treat to the eyes, as he nutmegged player after another before calmly finding a teammate or even the back of the net at times.

It was at Santos where Neymar's talent was first recognised, and after plying his trade in some of the best clubs in the world, in the form of FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian went to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal before finally returning to his boyhood club. However, Neymar wasn't the same player anymore who once ruled the footballing scene.

His persistent injury issues kept him out for several months at his previous clubs, which seemed to have gone beyond the limits. His return to Santos was indeed special, but a certain section of fans was worried about his physical fitness, and rightly so. Neymar has featured in just 17 of the 35 games this season, with Santos fighting for their lives to stay in the first division.

With just three more matches to go, the Piexe need to go hard or go home, where their star man is poised to play a decisive role. Santos next face Sport Recife in the league, which remains a very important fixture in their context of relegation. You might be having questions like, ‘Is Neymar Jr. playing in Santos vs Sport Recife?’ Don't worry, Sportsdunia has the answer to all your queries.

Will Neymar Jr. play against Sport Recife?

The Santos vs Sport Recife match is poised to be one of the important games in the history of the Brazilian league in recent times, as the fate of a club of the stature of Santos FC depends on this very fixture. They can't afford to drop points anymore if they want to stay up in the first division. Many of you might be wondering, ‘Is Neymar playing today?’ According to reports, Neymar is indeed going to feature in this game.

The Brazilian forward recently returned from a hamstring injury in October and has played three matches since. The last game he played was the 1-1 stalemate against Mirassol-SP, where he picked up a meniscus injury. The star forward's inclusion in the squad at such a critical time was a doubt, but reports have revealed that Neymar is ready to play the next game for Santos against Sport Recife despite injury concerns. Neymar requires an operation on his left knee to treat his meniscus, which will keep him out of action for the rest of the season, but the Brazilian does not want to miss out on his team's games, as their fate hangs in the thread.

Neymar has reportedly returned to training ahead of the Santos vs Sport Recife game, but it is clear that he is not at his optimum fitness level. Santos' manager, Juan Pablo Vojvod, a recently made it clear that the medical staff will not take any risk with their leader; however, the forward will travel with the team.

Santos president Marcelo Teixeira is also optimistic about the Brazilian's inclusion in the match against Sport Recife; however, he has reminded that the club won't make any decision in haste that might add to the player's woes. He also reminded that every player of the club needs to step up if Neymar misses out.

Santos sit in the 17th position right now with 38 points in their bag. Where every single point is crucial in deciding their fate, the club will look at their leader to take the pitch once again and bail them out, as he has done innumerable times in his early years. However, his physical health remains the priority as of now.