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Santos have had a difficult opening half of the season in Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, managing only four victories in their first 17 matches and currently sitting fourth from the bottom of the standings.

The Sao Paulo-based club are set to take on Bahia’s Vitoria on Saturday (midnight kick-off, UK time), but they will be missing their star forward Neymar.

The 34-year-old sustained a calf injury in the match against Coritiba 11 days ago and subsequently missed the following fixture versus Gremio. Reports on Thursday indicated that Brazil’s all-time leading scorer will be sidelined for both club and country duties for an estimated two to three weeks, casting uncertainty over his World Cup 2026 preparations.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has included the Santos talisman in his squad for the World Cup, where the Selecao are set to begin their Group C campaign against Morocco at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, June 13.

The national team manager will be anxiously monitoring Neymar’s fitness following the latest update, which was reported by BBC Sport journalist Michael Emons on Thursday afternoon.

According to Emons, “The 34-year-old has been ruled out for ‘two to three weeks’ with a calf injury.”

Emons further said, “That means he will miss the home friendly against Panama on Sunday, as well as the friendly against Egypt scheduled in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, 6 June.”

While Santos’ medical staff have reassured Brazil supporters that Neymar should be ready to join the national team camp and participate fully, the Selecao’s team doctor provided a more cautious recovery outlook during a press briefing.

“Neymar completed all required medical examinations, including an MRI scan that showed a grade two calf injury, not merely inflammation,” explained Rodrigo Lasmar. “He is expected to be cleared for action in two to three weeks.”

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker has featured in each of Brazil’s last four World Cup squads, beginning with the 2014 tournament held on home soil.

He made three appearances in the 2022 World Cup, where Brazil were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Croatia.

In 2026, Neymar has already faced several injury setbacks. He has started only eight Serie A matches for Santos this season, netting four goals.

His next scheduled club match is expected to take place three days after the World Cup final, when Santos meet Botafogo.