After more than two months without playing, Neymar, now recovered from his left knee injury, has returned to the field with Santos. The Brazilian, who came on at half-time, returned in his team’s thrashing of Velo Clube, which they beat 6-0 in the Campeonato Paulista.
The No.10 entered the pitch with great enthusiasm and showed flashes of brilliance, as well as taking some hard knocks.“I think everyone needs Neymar. Santos, the national team… Ancelotti will be happy if he does well. One thing leads to another. He is a world-class player. He still has that ambition. I see it in every game, in training: he wants to be there and he wants to win. That’s what motivates him,” said Juan Pablo Vojvoda, the Santos coach, after the match.
I think everyone needs Neymar. Santos, the national team…
Neymar arrives at Santos training in a vintage VW Kombi with a personal twist
Neymar had not played a match since December 7 last year, when he faced Cruzeiro in the final round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. A meniscus surgery on his left knee has kept him out of action until now.
The Brazilian was already seen very eager as soon as he arrived in the dressing room. Images released by Santos show him entering dancing to the rhythm of the music he was playing on a Bluetooth speaker. It was Neymar in his purest form.
With Neymar as the star player, this will demand a lot from everyone around him
High standards
After the return of the number 10, Juan Pablo Vojvoda foresees a bright future. “I see a team that works hard and understands the club they are in. With Neymar as the star player, this will demand a lot from everyone around him. The coach will work every day to further improve the future. But it will be difficult. Work hard, believe, be together,” said the coach.
Now recovered, Neymar is now thinking about the World Cup next summer and making the list of Carlos Ancelotti’s Brazil to play in it. The Canarinha will begin their tournament against Morocco, then face Haiti and close their participation in Group C against Scotland.
