Santos will head to Ecuador for the second leg against Macará without Neymar, with the club leaving the forward out of this Thursday's traveling squad for the 2026 Copa Sudamericana Round of 16.
The omission matters because Santos already has a slim 2-1 lead from the first leg at Vila Belmiro, and the trip now takes them to Ambato, where the altitude is roughly 2,600 meters above sea level. That combination makes this a demanding matchup even before the absence of one of the team's top attacking names.
The decision also fits a broader pattern for Santos, which is trying to balance short-term results with the need to manage Neymar after various physical issues in recent years. With Sunday’s match against Mirassol also on the schedule, the club has reason to be careful about how it uses its key players.
Neymar is not the only notable absence. Santos also left Gabigol out of the trip, further limiting the attacking options available to Cuca for a match that could decide who advances from the Round of 16.
What it means for Santos
Santos enters the second leg in a useful position, but not a safe one. A one-goal lead can disappear quickly, and the club is also only two points above the relegation zone in the Brazilian league. That makes every decision more complicated than a single knockout match might suggest.
For Santos, the immediate challenge is simple: protect the advantage, survive the conditions in Ecuador, and avoid stretching the squad too thin ahead of Sunday. For Macará, the absence of Neymar and Gabigol gives the home side a clearer path to push for a turnaround.
