'Unbelievable!' – Neymar slams Santos pitch after injury scare

The atmosphere at Santos turned toxic following their quarter-final elimination from the Copa do Brasil at the hands of rivals Palmeiras. While the 0-0 draw confirmed their exit following a 3-0 first-leg defeat, the biggest talking point remained the health of Neymar, who suffered a right hamstring injury at the end of the first half.

Taking to Instagram to voice his frustrations, Neymar delivered a scathing critique of the groundskeeping staff. 'I want to congratulate our groundsman at Vila Belmiro. Yesterday, it was the worst pitch the stadium has ever seen, riddled with holes, because they had to uncompact it the day before the match. Unbelievable! On top of playing against the opposition, we were battling the pitch itself. And to top it all off, we had to put in extra effort during acceleration and braking because the surface was so uneven. It's no wonder three players got injured in the first half. Congratulations, then... What a load of crap job.'

The injury to Neymar was not an isolated incident during the heated quarter-final second leg, lending weight to his complaints about the surface. Lucas Verissimo was also forced into an early exit after sustaining an ankle injury, while Barreal became the third player to succumb to physical issues during a chaotic first half.

According to ESPN, Neymar remains a major doubt and is not expected to feature against Internacional at Beira-Rio in the Brasileiro this Sunday. In his absence, Arthur is likely to make his debut in an advanced role, operating almost as a traditional number 10.

Never one to miss an opportunity to needle their rivals, Palmeiras responded to Neymar's complaints with a heavily sarcastic social media post. The Alviverde highlighted the contrast between the natural grass at Vila Belmiro and their own synthetic surface at Nubank Parque, where the first leg was played.

'We want to congratulate those responsible for the Nubank Parque field... No matter the day, the grass is always perfect and without holes, because it is cared for daily. You can believe it!' the club posted on Thursday. They continued the mockery by directly mirroring Neymar's complaints: 'Besides offering a good playing field for the opponent, our athletes feel safer because, during runs, the surface is always even. It's no coincidence that Palmeiras is the Serie A club with the fewest injuries in the last five years... Congratulations, you know? Great job.'

Santos continue to struggle this season despite Neymar's presence in the squad. O Peixe currently sit 14th in the Brasileiro table, hovering just four points above the relegation zone with 14 matches remaining.