Santos crash out of Copa do Brasil against Palmeiras, lose Neymar to injury

Neymar walked off the field in tears and couldn't even make it back to the bench. That image sums up Santos' night at Vila Belmiro: a Copa do Brasil quarterfinal exit against Palmeiras that stung far more because of the injuries than the result.

The second leg finished 0-0, but Palmeiras had already sealed a 3-0 aggregate win (Neymar hadn't even played in the first leg). With the outcome already decided, something else lingered in the air: Santos left the field with three injury casualties in a single night. Along with Neymar, Argentine winger Alvaro Barreal and Lucas Verissimo also had to come off with knocks.

Coach Cuca didn't dodge the subject in his post-match press conference and explained why he chose not to risk the outcome of the match by substituting the injured players sooner.

It was a risk I had to take. If I had subbed off the players who got hurt today, they'd be calling for our disqualificationCuca

The coach went further and put the problem in context: playing every three days on a packed schedule takes its toll. "These are risks we have to take. Unfortunately, we lost players because playing Sunday and Wednesday at this intensity is tough," he added. He closed with something that sounded almost like the resignation of a seasoned coach: "In the end, we lost Neymar, Barreal and Verissimo, and now we have to rely on the strength of the group. But let's hope their injuries aren't serious and that they recover as soon as possible."

Will Neymar miss the Sudamericana quarterfinals?

Neymar's issue is in his right hamstring and it was enough to keep him out for the second half. Rony came on in his place and Gabigol ended up wearing the captain's armband. With the Copa do Brasil already gone, the immediate question is whether Neymar will be fit for the Sudamericana quarterfinals against Atletico Mineiro, scheduled for Wednesday September 9 and 16. Cuca didn't hold back and got straight to the point: "That's the reality. It's not the situation we want; Neymar will probably be out. We'll have to manage without him, just like we did when he was at the World Cup and we played well. We'll get back to work on that."

Neymar's numbers in 2026 with the Peixe shirt are no small thing: he has 8 goals in 24 matches. But right now Santos needs something more urgent than his goals, it needs order in the standings. The team sits fourteenth in the Brasileirao, with 29 points from 24 matches, stuck in an uncomfortable zone: not close enough to the relegation places to breathe easy, and not close enough to the international cup spots to dream big. In that context, losing its star player ahead of such a demanding tie against Atletico Mineiro is, without a doubt, the worst news on a night that had already been battered by elimination.