Neymar did not feature for Santos in Sunday's 2-1 semifinal defeat at Corinthians because of ongoing "discomfort" in his left thigh.

Neymar's excuse for missing a semifinal with Santos has been criticized because he was seen at Carnival last week.

Everyone in Brazil was focused on this match after his return to the national team following a year and a half of

After Santos were eliminated by Corinthians, missing the chance to secure an early trophy, Neymar addressed his absence with an injury update.

On Monday, he said he had a minor injury without elaborating. Days earlier, the striker was photographed at Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, the venue for the glitz

Neymar missed his side's game against Corinthians. His absence did affect Santos, who were eliminated from the competition.

Neymar did not play in Santos' semifinal match of the Campeonato Paulista against Corinthians, where his team lost 1-2 and was eliminated from the tournament.

A Neymar-less Santos was defeated 2-1 in the Paulista Championship semifinals by a solid Corinthians team, ending a four-game winning streak for Santos. Neymar spent the match on the bench due to a minor thigh issue,