Last night, Neymar went off injured in his second match with Al-Hilal this season. The Brazilian spoke out after this new setback.
Abou Diaby, Yoann Gourcuff and many others have dragged this reputation of crystal players throughout their careers by chaining injuries. Neymar Jr (32 years old) risks joining this circle. Since his arrival in Europe, the Brazilian has accumulated 37 injuries in total according to the specialist site Transfermarkt. Things did not improve after his departure for Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023. Seriously injured in the knee, he was sidelined for more than a year. But with patience and work, the native of Mogi das Cruzes made his big return on October 21.
It was during the Asian Champions League match against Al-Ain. Coming into play for around thirty minutes, the former PSG player almost found the back of the net. Not qualified to participate in the Saudi Pro League matches, Ney played his second match yesterday evening against Esteghlal (3-0 victory) in the Asian C1. But the 32-year-old footballer was again physically affected. Indeed, he left the field injured in the 87th minute, after only 30 minutes of play. A hard blow for the player, who grimaced and seemed annoyed.
Neymar reacts !
After the match, his coach, Jorge Jesus, gave an update on him. “He is coming back from an injury that is not easy and he plays in a position that makes him very vulnerable to tackles. I think his injury is muscular and not to the knee. He should be out for at least two weeks.” The coach also recalled about him: “I did not register him in the championship because I knew it could happen again. It’s not just an injury.”
Neymar then reacted to his new injury on Instagram.
“I had a cramp, but it was very strong! I’m going to have tests and I hope it’s nothing more. It’s normal for this to happen after a year, the doctors had already warned me, that’s why I have to be careful and have more minutes to play.” In another message published on Instagram, he congratulated his team for their great performance while adding that he was “very happy” to be able to play at home again. Despite everything, his condition is worrying in Brazil, where the press is unhappy after his relapse, and in Saudi Arabia. Arriyadiyah indicates that with this new injury, he should spend the 400 days of absence since his arrival at Al-Hilal.