Santos will travel to Porto Alegre to face Grêmio at Arena do Grêmio on Saturday, May 23, with kickoff scheduled for 19:00 Brasília time in the 17th round of the Brazilian Serie A.
Cuca, Santos’s coach, must assemble a side without Neymar, who will not play because of pain in his right calf, and several other regulars listed in the club’s medical department.
The immediate weight of the problem is visible in Santos’s probable XI. The team is expected to line up with Gabriel Brazão in goal; Igor Vinicius, Adonís Frías, Lucas Veríssimo and Escobar across the back; William Arão, Gustavo Henrique, Gabriel Bontempo and Miguelito in midfield; and Rony and Gabigol leading the attack. Neymar’s absence leaves Santos without its most prominent attacking option, while Barreal is also unavailable after serving a suspension for a red card received against Coritiba. Rollheiser did not travel with the squad and is listed in the medical department with a muscle problem. Vinícius Lira (left-knee), Gabriel Menino (right hamstring), João Schmidt (right hamstring) and Thaciano (right thigh muscle) join Rollheiser on the treatment list. The match will be broadcast on Premiere.
Grêmio, under Luís Castro, is expected to make alterations of its own. The home side’s probable lineup names Weverton; Pavon, Luis Eduardo, Viery and Caio Paulista; Noriega, Pérez and Braithwaite; Amuzu, Enamorado and Carlos Vinícius. The supplementary team notes indicate Grêmio will tweak its midfield and left back because of suspensions, a sign Castro plans proactive rotation rather than a simple like-for-like replacement.
The context is straightforward: this is a league fixture that counts for the standings and for momentum as both clubs enter the middle phase of the championship. For Santos, the match arrives amid a string of personnel problems that compress Cuca’s tactical options. For Grêmio, the game is an opportunity to exploit those absences at home and climb in the table. The broader background is that both coaches will have to balance immediate results with player management across a congested calendar.
The tension centers on whether Santos can replace Neymar’s influence and cover the holes left in midfield and the wings. Santos’s projected eleven lists experienced defenders and forwards, but the midfield appears strained: several players who might provide rotation or tactical flexibility are sidelined. Barreal’s suspension removes a disciplinary variable that Cuca cannot plan around, and Rollheiser’s absence — compounded by his non-travel — reduces attacking depth. Grêmio’s expected changes create a countervailing uncertainty: Castro may field a team that looks different on paper than in recent rounds, trading continuity for freshness.
How this plays out will decide more than a single result. Santos’s chances rest on whether Cuca’s setup can shield a makeshift midfield long enough for Rony and Gabigol to make decisive contributions; if they cannot, Grêmio’s home adjustments under Luís Castro are likely to seize control of midfield battles and press an advantage. At 19:00 Brasília time on Saturday, the match will show whether Santos can absorb the absences listed in its medical department and the suspension of Barreal, or whether Grêmio will turn opponent frailties into three points at Arena do Grêmio.
