Where was Neymar?! Brazilian superstar explains his absence after watching on from the bench as Santos are downed by Memphis Depay's Corinthians

The 33-year-old is back in familiar surroundings after returning to his roots on a short-term contract. He is looking to rebuild form and fitness following a forgettable stint in the Saudi Pro League that ended with his lucrative contract at Al-Hilal being terminated.

Injury struggles cast a cloud over Neymar’s time in the Middle East, and he finds himself stuck on the sidelines again at present. The knock currently being nursed by Brazil’s all-time leading goal-scorer is not considered to be serious, but it has resulted in another enforced break from competitive action.

Explaining why he played no part in Santos’ latest fixture, Neymar said in a social media post: "All I wanted was to be on the field today and help my team-mates in some way... but last Thursday I felt some discomfort and couldn't be on the field today, we took a test this morning and I ended up feeling it again! Unfortunately, this is part of football… we will be back even stronger to fight for our goals!"

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Neymar was left helpless as Santos suffered a 2-1 defeat to Corinthians, with fellow ex-Barcelona star Memphis Depay figuring for the triumphant hosts in Sao Paulo. An international break has now been reached, with Neymar hoping to figure for Brazil in 2026 World Cup qualifiers – after earning a recall to the Selecao ranks – before domestic duty resumes on March 30.