Neymar suffered a new injury other than his participation as a substitute with Al-Hilal in the match against Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League for the elite, which ended with the “Blue Wave” winning 3-0.
The Brazilian international replaced Abdullah Al-Hamdan in the 58th minute before suffering a muscle injury in the 87th minute and leaving the field affected by it.
According to Saudi media, Neymar is suffering from a muscle tear in the right posterior muscle, and this injury is not expected to be serious or keep him off the field for long again.
Neymar is expected to be out for at least two weeks, meaning he could return to play against Al Sadd in the Champions League on November 26 after the international break.
Neymar commented on his injury and how frustrated he was about it, saying, “I felt a very strong cramp, I will undergo tests and I hope it is not something big.”
He added, “It is normal for this to happen after a year of absence, the doctors have already warned me before so I had to be careful.”
It is worth noting that Neymar’s participation in the Esteghlal match was only his seventh with Al Hilal since joining in the summer of 2023, after he suffered a cruciate ligament tear last year, which kept him off the field until last month.
Coach Jorge Jesus excluded Neymar from the local list until he completes his full recovery, so the AFC Champions League matches for the elite are his only chance to prepare for the rest of the season until next January.
