Neymar’s injury struggles continued on Monday night, as he was taken off the field only 29 minutes after he went on. The Brazilian player was substituted into the 58th minute of Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League match against Esteghlal, but he was forced to depart by the 87th minute due to leg pain.
This incident came shortly after his comeback from a year-long absence due to an ACL injury that required surgery on his left knee. Neymar, who earns £130 million per year at Al-Hilal, had only made his second appearance since his return when he felt what he described as a “very strong” cramp.
Neymar reassured fans on social media by saying he thought the problem was probably not too serious. He wrote on social media, “I will do exams and hope it’s nothing more,” adding that physicians had cautioned him about possible setbacks until he regained his strength. The Brazilian acknowledged the necessity of slow reintroduction and stressed the significance of pacing himself after a year out.
On social media, Neymar also expressed his joy at returning to the field and thanked fans for their encouragement. “Now it’s time to recover,” he added, reaffirming his will to keep going despite the setback.
Brazil’s next World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Venezuela will not include Neymar. Brazil’s coach Dorival Junior disclosed that despite Neymar’s desire to play, the team chose to follow the club’s reintegration plan and prioritize his gradual recovery.
Neymar “only had a few minutes,” according to coach Dorival, which greatly impacted the choice to rest him. He clarified that while Neymar’s desire to play for Brazil was significant, his limited playing time and health also needed to be taken into account.
Neymar just left Paris Saint-Germain for £78 million to join Al-Hilal, which drastically changed his career. Even though Neymar has only appeared in six games so far, his high-profile move to the Saudi squad controlled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2023 garnered notice.
Even if Neymar hasn’t done much, Al-Hilal has been succeeding this season. The Saudi Pro League championship squad is now six points ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. In addition to their strong start, Al-Hilal maintained their position at the top of their Asian Champions League group with a hat-trick from Aleksandar Mitrovic in their most recent 3-0 victory over Esteghlal.
