Neymar came on in the 58th minute of Al-Hilal’s 3-0 victory over their Iranian rival, but came off in the 87th minute with a torn thigh. The severity of the injury is currently unclear, as is the recovery timeline. He had already been omitted from Brazil’s roster for upcoming World Cup qualifiers when he was named on Friday, which was not surprising considering the timeline for his return to play after tearing his ACL.
Monday’s game was just his second of last year, and he spent much of that time recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee. He suffered the long-term injury in October 2022 during Brazil’s loss to Uruguay in a World Cup qualifying match, and eventually returned to play with a 13-minute cameo against United Arab Emirates side Al Ain in the AFC Champions League action on October 21.
This problem is just the latest for an injury-prone Neymar. Much of his tenure with Paris Saint-Germain from 2017 to 2023 was plagued by different spells on the sidelines, the most serious of which were a metatarsal fracture in early 2018 and an ankle injury that kept him out since November. from 2021 to February 2022. .
Additionally, he has only played seven games for Al-Hilal since his successful move to the Saudi Pro League during a summer in the Gulf nation, battling a variety of injuries. His Al-Hilal debut was delayed by about a month due to a muscle injury, and he only played five games last season before suffering anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus tears.
