Santos coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda is encouraged by Neymar‘s progress following his December knee operation but will not rush him back into action.
Neymar, who turned 34 on Thursday, returned to training this week having been sidelined since Dec. 22 when he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus.
Amid reports that Neymar could feature on Sunday at Club Noroeste in the Campeonato Paulista, Vojvoda said: «He’s already back with the group. But a player like him, who is preparing for important goals, needs to be in good shape to return.
«He is fully dedicated so that, when he steps onto the pitch again, he can perform as everyone expects him to. He wants the World Cup. He needs to train, to fight one-on-one in training … He’s a human being. We’re not going to rush him. I’m the first one who needs him, his teammates, too. But we want him to be well.
«When he’s well, he makes an important difference like no one else can,» Vojvoda added.
– As Neymar turns 34, time is ticking on his World Cup dream
Neymar, who helped Santos avoid relegation last season, is focused on claiming a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad.
Injuries have prevented the country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals from playing for Brazil since Oct. 2023.
Brazilian forward Gabriel Barbosa ‘Gabigol’, who joined Santos on loan from Cruzeiro last month, wants to take the pressure off Neymar.
«I don’t see him as the savior of the nation,» ‘Gabigol’ said. «If that were the case, other teams would never lose because they have great players.
«He’s just another player, a very important one, an idol of the group and the captain. He has great leadership. We hope to help him so he doesn’t get overwhelmed and can enjoy himself. We hope he comes back 100%, without pressure, calmly, to help Santos and the national team.»
