Al Hilal attacker Neymar getting injured isn’t a surprise for some time now. The Brazilian superstar was sidelined for most of the time last year for both Al Hilal and Paris Saint-Germain due to two consecutive injuries. But, it looks like the player’s streak of missing games will stretch beyond Copa America 2024, according to the Blue Waves coach Jorge Jesus.
Significantly, Al Hilal fans receive another jolt in their hope to see Neymar for an entire season. According to reports, Jesus said, “Neymar will not be ready until September or October.” The Saudi Pro League is expected to start in August after the conclusion of the continental tournaments, meaning Neymar could miss 2-3 months of the 2024-25 action due to his ACL tear.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian has just played six games for Al Hilal this season and was eager to return to the pitch. Neymar tore his knee ligament and meniscus while playing for Brazil against Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last October. After the injury, the former Barcelona star had to undergo surgery and subsequent steps. These were expected to be muscle activation with electricity, strengthening, and later restoring movements before restoring the ability to bear weight and train properly.
The current phase of Neymar’s progress is unknown. Online pictures saw Neymar doing a few stretches and exercises when he posted an update in March. Nevertheless, he is walking well right now, but it appears like Jesus wouldn’t like to risk him. Notably, the Al Hilal manager was unhappy last year when Neymar received a call-up for national team duties.
The Portuguese coach then felt Neymar hadn’t completely recovered from the ankle injury sustained in February 2023 while at PSG. Now, even Brazil will face the brunt of Neymar’s absence at the Copa America.
Neymar misses another chance for an international trophy
With the ability of Neymar, you would have expected him to win multiple trophies with Brazil. However, the 2013 Confederations Cup is the only major title for the 32-year-old at the international level, apart from the 2016 Olympics. In addition, he will miss this year’s chance of adding a Copa America title to his cabinet. Brazil’s team doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, hinted last December that Neymar would not make the Copa America this year. Everyone expected Neymar to recover by August, but the medical team wasn’t in a hurry, which could put him at risk again.
Moreover, Neymar also missed the 2019 winning edition, where he was not in Brazil’s squad because of an ankle injury. With so many opportunities missed, the highest goalscorer for the Canarinhos will aim to keep a check on his fitness from now on. And with critics feeling that he has underachieved, it would be interesting to see if he accepts the challenge and win a few more in the future.