Neymar turns to ‘Dr Miracle’ in desperate bid to be fit for World Cup after defying doctors’ orders to save Santos

NEYMAR has turned to “Dr Miracle” in a desperate bid to save his World Cup dream.

The former Barcelona and PSG forward, 33, has been battling a knee problem ever since rejoining boyhood club Santos from Al-Hilal in January.

Neymar ruptured his cruciate ligament while playing for Brazil in October 2023.

And he is now set to undergo another major operation after defying doctor’s orders when Santos came close to relegation this season.

Neymar strapped on his boots to deliver five goals and an assist in their final four matches, saving them from the drop.

His flash of brilliance has led to calls for Neymar to be part of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for next summer’s World Cup — realistically his final-ever international tournament.

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And Neymar is now looking to make the dream a reality by turning to a doctor renowned for performing miracles on footballers using unconventional methods.

Brazilian physio Dr Eduardo Santos is regarded as a sports scientist master and has held top positions at Shanghai SIPG, Zenit St Petersburg and Vitesse Arnhem.

He is currently based in England where he is helping Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz return from a hamstring injury suffered a month ago.

Recently, Santos has worked with Man United star Matheus Cunha and Monaco defender Vanderson.

Other clients in the past include Philippe Coutinho, Oscar and Hulk.

Neymar hopes Santos can live up to his “Dr Miracle” nickname though, with the boffin once performing magic on ex-Chelsea and Arsenal defender David Luiz.

The then-PSG ace was ruled out for 10 weeks with a knee injury in 2015, but Santos had him back on the pitch in 10 DAYS.

Neymar is now hoping his knee can be fixed quickly, allowing him to be fit for the start of the new domestic campaign in late January.

Should he then return for Brazil, it would mark his first international appearance since the ACL injury suffered in 2023.

But boss Ancelotti has insisted he will do no favours when it comes to selecting his World Cup squad.

The Italian said: “There are many players who are very good, I need to choose players that are 100%. It’s not just Neymar, it could be [Real Madrid forward] Vinicius. 

“If Vinicius is at 90%, I’ll call up another player who is at 100%, because it’s a team that has a very high level of competence, especially up front. Up front, we have really many good players.” 

He added: “If we talk about Neymar, we have to talk about other players. We have to think about Brazil, which can be with Neymar or without Neymar, with other players or without other players. The definitive list we will make after the FIFA date in March. 

“I understand very well that they are very interested in Neymar, I want to clarify that we are in December, the World Cup is in June, I will choose the team that will go to the World Cup in May. 

“If Neymar deserves to be, if he is well, better than someone else, he will play in the World Cup and period. I don’t owe anyone a debt.”