Santos flew to Ecuador on Tuesday for Thursday’s meeting with Macará at the Estadio Bellavista in Ambato, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm Brasília time. Rather than make the lengthy journey, Neymar remained in Brazil and took part in training at the club’s training centre, alongside several other senior players who have been rested for the continental fixture.
According to Globo.com, right-back Igor Vinicius and forwards Barreal and Gabigol also stayed behind. Gabigol’s absence is particularly notable because he has emerged as Santos’ leading scorer in the competition, with five goals in the Copa Sudamericana campaign. The decision to leave such important players at home underlines the club’s desire to manage fatigue as the fixture list intensifies.
Cuca had already indicated last week that Santos would protect some players because of the demanding schedule. The trip to Ecuador adds another layer of physical strain, with the squad flying to Quito before undertaking a further road journey to Ambato. The altitude and travel demands associated with playing in Ecuador can make an already difficult away fixture even more taxing, particularly for players who are expected to feature heavily in domestic competition.
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The decision for neymar carries additional significance. The Brazilian superstar remains one of the biggest names in world football, but his return to Santos has also been accompanied by the need for careful physical management following years in which injuries repeatedly disrupted his career. At 34, Neymar is no longer the explosive young forward who first emerged at Santos and subsequently became a global star at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Managing his workload is therefore likely to remain a central consideration for both the player and the coaching staff.
His latest training session, rather than the trip to Ecuador, suggests that Santos are already looking beyond Thursday’s continental fixture. The club will host Mirassol at Vila Belmiro on Sunday evening in a Brazilian league encounter regarded as particularly important because both sides are battling near the relegation zone.
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That match could ultimately be more consequential for Santos than the Sudamericana trip. While continental success remains a major objective, avoiding relegation from Brazil’s top flight would be critical for a club with Santos’ history and stature. The presence of Neymar has raised expectations among supporters, but his return alone cannot solve the club’s wider competitive problems.
Santos are entering one of the most demanding periods of their calendar. Following the meeting with Macará, the club faces Mirassol before embarking on a run of three high-profile matches against traditional rivals. Two of those fixtures will be against Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil, with Santos first travelling to face their rivals before welcoming them to Vila Belmiro for the return encounter. Between those two matches comes an away league clash against Corinthians.
Neymar spectacular training Image: threads
The sequence represents a major test of both Santos’ squad depth and Cuca’s tactical management. The decision to leave Neymar, Gabigol, Igor Vinicius and Barreal in Brazil could therefore be viewed less as a sign of diminished importance and more as an attempt to ensure key players are available when the schedule becomes even more demanding.
Cuca will also be monitoring the condition of centre-back Lucas Veríssimo, who has been recovering from a left calf injury. If his rehabilitation progresses as hoped, he could return to the squad against Mirassol, providing Santos with another important option at the back. The immediate priority for Neymar appears to be preparation rather than competition. His decision to remain in Brazil gives him additional recovery time and allows him to complete a controlled training programme while his teammates undertake one of the most physically demanding away trips of the season.
The broader picture, however, is that Santos are trying to balance ambition with necessity. The Copa Sudamericana offers an opportunity for continental success, while the domestic campaign demands immediate attention at the other end of the table. The Copa do Brasil clashes with Palmeiras and the meeting with Corinthians will then bring enormous pressure, both sporting and emotional.
Neymar’s return to Santos has already transformed the atmosphere surrounding the club, reviving memories of the period when he emerged from the academy and became one of the most celebrated players in Brazilian football. His second spell, however, is taking place under very different circumstances. Instead of carrying the burden of an entire team every week, the veteran forward is increasingly likely to be managed strategically, with the club choosing carefully when his experience and creativity are most valuable.
His absence from the flight to Ecuador should therefore not necessarily be interpreted as a setback. It may instead be part of a deliberate plan to preserve Santos’ most valuable assets for the battles ahead. With a relegation fight, a continental knockout tie and a daunting series of Brazilian classics all arriving in quick succession, Santos can ill afford to lose key players to fatigue or injury.
The real test is expected to come over the next few weeks. If Cuca’s rotation pays off and the rested stars return refreshed against Mirassol and then the major domestic clashes, Santos may look back on the decision to leave Neymar and his teammates behind as an important piece of squad management. If results go against them, however, questions will inevitably follow about whether the club sacrificed too much in Ecuador.
Neymar’s Wednesday morning training session in Brazil offers a glimpse of Santos’ priorities, which is protecting their biggest names today in the hope that they can make a decisive difference when the games that could define the club’s season arrive.
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