Neymar has suffered a fresh setback after developing flu symptoms and missing Santos training ahead of the Corinthians derby, although the club still hope he can recover in time to feature.

Neymar suffers fresh setback after missing Santos training with flu before Corinthians clash

Neymar has suffered a fresh setback ahead of Santos’ crucial derby against Corinthians after developing flu symptoms and missing an important training session.

The Brazilian superstar was absent from Santos’ penultimate session before the weekend fixture and did not report to the club’s CT Rei Pelé training complex.

However, the current issue is understood to be illness rather than an injury, and Santos are still hopeful that Neymar can recover in time to face Corinthians.

Neymar misses Santos training with flu

Santos confirmed that Neymar presented flu-like symptoms before Friday’s training session.

The club’s medical department advised the 34-year-old to remain at home and rest rather than participate with the squad.

Neymar therefore missed the penultimate training session before Santos travel to face Corinthians.

His condition will continue to be monitored closely before the final decision over his availability is made.

No new injury concern for Neymar

The positive news for Santos is that Neymar’s absence is not currently linked to a muscular injury or another physical setback.

He had trained normally one day earlier and completed work on the pitch while players who featured against Palmeiras focused on recovery.

The flu symptoms appeared afterwards and resulted in the medical staff giving him the day off.

There is therefore no indication at this stage that Neymar is dealing with a significant new injury.

Santos still expect Neymar to face Corinthians

Despite missing training, Neymar has not yet been ruled out of the derby.

Santos are hoping he will be able to return for the final training session before the squad travels to São Paulo.

If his condition improves as expected, Neymar could still be included in the matchday squad and potentially start against Corinthians.

The club are currently treating him as a doubt rather than a confirmed absentee.

Illness comes immediately after Palmeiras controversy

The timing of Neymar’s illness is particularly significant because he has already been at the centre of debate over his recent absence against Palmeiras.

Neymar did not travel with Santos for the 3-0 Copa do Brasil defeat despite later insisting that he had been available to play.

The forward explained that the decision to rest him came from the coaching staff as part of an attempt to manage his workload during a demanding run of fixtures.

Santos had effectively protected Neymar against Palmeiras with the expectation that he would be available for the upcoming matches against Corinthians and Palmeiras again.

Fresh uncertainty disrupts Santos’ plan

The flu symptoms have now introduced another element of uncertainty into that plan.

Santos are currently navigating a demanding sequence involving Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil, Corinthians in the Brasileirão and then Palmeiras again.

Neymar remains the club’s most influential attacking player, meaning his availability could significantly affect how Santos approach the derby.

After resting him for workload reasons earlier in the week, the possibility of losing Neymar to illness would be an especially frustrating development for the coaching staff.

Corinthians derby carries huge importance

The clash with Corinthians is one of Santos’ most important league matches of the current period.

The club need points as they attempt to improve their position in the Brasileirão and build momentum after the heavy defeat to Palmeiras.

A derby victory would provide a major psychological lift ahead of the Copa do Brasil second leg.

Neymar’s presence would naturally increase Santos’ attacking threat considerably.

Neymar and Gabigol could lead the attack

If Neymar recovers in time, Santos could pair him with Gabigol in attack against Corinthians.

The prospect of the two Brazilian stars starting together would give Santos additional creativity and finishing quality in one of the biggest matches on their schedule.

Neymar had been included in predicted starting line-ups before his illness became public.

His potential partnership with Gabigol remains one of the most anticipated elements of the derby.

Final training session will be decisive

The next major update is expected to come from Santos’ final training session before the match.

If Neymar returns to the pitch and completes the session normally, confidence over his participation against Corinthians will increase significantly.

If he remains absent, however, Santos may have to seriously consider preparing without him.

The final medical assessment will therefore be crucial in determining whether Neymar can travel and potentially start the derby.

Neymar faces another difficult week

The latest illness adds to an eventful period for Neymar.

His absence against Palmeiras generated debate over Santos’ communication and the decision-making process surrounding his workload.

He has also been at the centre of several off-field stories and public discussions in recent days.

Now the immediate focus returns to his physical condition and whether he can help Santos respond on the pitch.

Santos waiting on Neymar recovery

For now, there is no reason to assume Neymar will definitely miss the Corinthians match.

The club still expect the illness to be manageable and hope he will recover quickly enough to return to training.

But with the derby approaching, every training session becomes increasingly important.

The key development is clear. Neymar has developed flu symptoms and missed a crucial Santos training session, but the club remain hopeful that their biggest star can recover in time to face Corinthians.