Neto and Bastos start the pre-season at Botafogo. Now Pantaleon…

Botafogo will have two new features in January 2026, following the re-presentation of the squad. And it’s not yet the reinforcements or the new coach. The group will therefore have the reinforcements of goalkeeper Neto and defender Bastos, two players who unfortunately were affected by serious injuries in 2025. As for Pantaleão… The person who guarantees and transmits the clinical panorama of footballers is the club doctor, Dr. Gustavo Dutra, in an interview with “Canal do TF”.

“They could be at the first training, with the team, during the evaluation period and everything. Neto only went on vacation today (Friday 19th). A guy with his name, with 15 years of experience in Europe, played at the clubs he played for and said ‘No, calm down, I want to train for two more weeks. Hats off to the guy. Then he’ll be right back,” the doctor said.

Neto, in September, had a complete tear of the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh. The veteran only played four matches for the Mais Tradicional. Bastos, meanwhile, only competed once in 2025, at Carioca, due to a left knee injury. Both were operated on.

Pantaleão: “Very serious injury”

Pantaléon’s situation is the most complex. There was a prediction recently that pointed to a return midway through next season. However, news from in front black and white do not bode well at all. After all, the defender is only expected to return to work on the pitch in October 2026, when he will have completed a year since injuring his left knee ligaments.

“There, on the pitch, we already have an idea of what happened. I saw that he had a ligament injury, he was out of the game, he went straight to the locker room. He didn’t even stay on the bench. He even went on a stretcher to the locker room. And there, the other colleague, the doctor, examined him. Indeed, he has an injury, so we have a point, he saw that we are working with a point to facilitate the communication. He actually mentioned there at least two ligaments, and it turned out there were others. A very serious injury. He will come back fine, but a year after the operation,” said Dr. Dutra.

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