Santos chief Alexandre Mattos defends Neymar absence in 3-0 Palmeiras defeat as a matter of 'strategy'

Despite being named in the preliminary travelling squad for Wednesday's Copa do Brasil first leg, Neymar was surprisingly omitted from the final team sheet for the away match against Palmeiras. Without their talisman, Santos were powerless to resist the hosts as Jose Manuel Lopez broke the deadlock in the 34th minute before Andreas Pereira doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time. Lopez then capped an emphatic 3-0 victory with his second strike just past the hour mark.

Santos football executive director Mattos moved quickly to dismiss suggestions that the forward was nursing an injury or left out solely due to reservations over the artificial surface at Nubank Parque.

Explaining the club's rotation policy, Mattos told GETV: "Neymar is 1,000% available for Santos at all times. Always. Neymar played against Atletico-MG last year on synthetic turf. He is around 33, 34 years old. We have to manage his workload in certain situations. So, by mutual agreement between the coaching staff and the football board, we felt it was best to rest him. It's a matter of strategy."

External scrutiny regarding the No. 10's physical conditioning on synthetic pitches was flatly rejected by the Peixe hierarchy as the determining factor behind his absence. Reiterating the marquee forward's clean bill of health, the club chief added: "He is 100% available and would play here [Nubank Parque] with complete peace of mind. He already proved that by playing against Atletico last year."

Santos must regroup immediately before taking on bitter rivals Corinthians in the Campeonato Brasileiro this weekend. Cuca's men then face the daunting challenge of overcoming a three-goal deficit when they host Palmeiras in the return leg, followed by a tough trip to Internacional. Neymar's return to the forefront is essential for enhancing their attack and salvaging their season on both fronts.