Neymar undergoes knee surgery after saving Santos from relegation as return date for Brazil star revealed

Neymar has been blighted by injury issues in recent years and has undergone another operation after suffering knee problems during his time back at Santos. The Brazil star has undergone an arthroscopy which is not expected to sideline him for too long, meaning his World Cup dreams remain alive. Neymar played through the pain barrier in the final weeks of the season but did help Santos avoid relegation after promotion last year. The Brazilian superstar returned to Santos in January, after a dismal time in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, and played a key role in keeping the team up. "I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me," Neymar said after his team beat the drop. "I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery."

Santos have now confirmed Neymar has undergone successful surgery: "The player Neymar da Silva Santos Junior underwent surgery this Monday morning (12/22) at Mater Dei Nova Lima by Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar and his team. An arthroscopy was performed to treat a lesion in the medial meniscus. The surgery was a success and the athlete is doing well. Neymar Jr. will be discharged early this afternoon and will begin his rehabilitation process, which will be coordinated by his physiotherapist Rafael Martini."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Neymar is expected to miss around a month of action, meaning he is due back at the end of January/early February, according to ESPN. The timeline means that Neymar could potentially be available for the derby against Corinthians in the Campeonato Paulista on January 22nd. Before that game, Santos are due to face Novorizontino, Palmeiras and Guarani. 

Neymar's contract at the club is due to expire at the end of the month but it is expected he will stay and sign an extension through to the 2026 World Cup. Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has told ESPN he expects Neymar to continue: "Neymar's project is a project for next year's World Cup. The conversation has always been this. He could go anywhere and wanted to come to Santos, his home. Maybe we imagined taking advantage of it more in the first half of the year and we couldn't, but it's nobody's fault. He ends the season in a better way, he was decisive. Neymar's participation continues to be important, off the field and on it. The dialogue remains. We are evaluating the numbers and extending these values. I have a positive expectation that we will reach a common denominator for his permanence."

Neymar will now be hoping to make a full and swift recovery from his knee problem and return to playing football. The Brazilian has readily admitted he dreams of playing at World Cup 2026 but still has work to do to convince manager Carlo Ancelotti he deserves a place in his squad. He told reporters earlier this month: "If we talk about Neymar, we have to talk about other players. We have to think about Brazil, which can be with Neymar or without Neymar, with other players or without other players. The definitive list we will make after the FIFA date in March. I understand very well that they are very interested in Neymar, I want to clarify that we are in December, the World Cup is in June, I will choose the team that will go to the World Cup in May. If Neymar deserves to be, if he is well, better than someone else, he will play in the World Cup and period. I don't owe anyone a debt."