Neymar slams Santos groundskeeper after suffering injury in Copa do Brasil loss to Palmeiras

Neymar took to Instagram to blast the groundskeeper at Vila Belmiro after picking up a thigh injury during Santos’ Copa do Brasil quarterfinal elimination to Palmeiras. The Brazilian forward was forced off before halftime in the second leg, which ended 0-0 and sent Palmeiras through on a 3-0 aggregate scoreline.

“Congratulations, eh… Excellent s— job,” Neymar wrote sarcastically in an Instagram story aimed at the club’s field caretaker. “Yesterday was the worst pitch Vila has ever had, full of holes because they did the decompaction the day before the match. Unbelievable!” he added.

“Besides playing against our opponent, we also played against the field… and on top of that we have to push harder just to start and stop while running because the ground is uneven, it’s not for nothing that three players felt discomfort in the first half,” he wrote in a follow-up story.

The discomfort came after Neymar received the ball with Agustin Giay closing him down and attempted a shot from outside the box with his left foot. Moments later he began grabbing at his right thigh and signaled to the bench in the 43rd minute.

He finished out the first half before Cuca opted to bring on Rony in his place at the break, as Santos were unable to overturn the 3-0 deficit from the first leg, leaving them eliminated in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals.

Cuca addresses Neymar’s possible return

Medical tests were conducted Thursday to determine the extent of the injury, though Santos had yet to confirm an official diagnosis. Head coach Cuca acknowledged it’s unlikely Neymar will be available for the club’s next Brasileirao fixture. “It’s not a situation we want, he’s probably out. We’re going to have to manage without him,” the coach said.

Santos will visit Internacional on Sunday, September 6, before returning to continue their Copa Sudamericana campaign against Atletico Mineiro in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday, September 8, with Neymar’s availability for either match still to be determined pending further evaluation.