Topics: Neymar, Saudi Pro League, Brazil
Neymar's much-anticipated comeback for Al Hilal has been cut short after the Brazilian forward suffered a nasty-looking injury during Monday's AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal FC.
The 32-year-old forward, who joined Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal last summer in a deal that earns him a reported £378,000 per day, has been limited to just seven appearances for his new club.
While playing for Brazil in their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay last year, the Brazilian ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, which required surgery to repair the damage.
After a total of 369 days out, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain winger finally made his comeback last month, when he replaced Nasser Al Dawsari in the 77th minute of their AFC Champions League clash against Al Ain.
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But almost two weeks later and Neymar looks set to be on the sidelines again after he suffered a reported hamstring injury during Monday's win over Esteghlal.
After starting on the bench, Neymar was introduced in the 58th minute by manager Jorge Jesus but just 29 minutes later, he signaled to be substituted and was replaced.
Footage soon emerged of the Brazilian throwing his shinpads and boots away as he looked devastated by the unfolding events.
Here's how fans reacted on social media.
One said: "It might be finally time for us all to accept the fact that his body can’t handle professional football anymore," while another wrote: "Neymar injured again? Football is so cruel ."
A third commented: "I feel so sad for this guy. I just hope this injury isn’t too serious."
A fourth wrote: "It's safe to say Neymar needs to call it a day. His body can't talk all these injuries," and a fifth added: "It’s crazy how unlucky Neymar is, just came back from an ACL and in his second game back already he has already sustained a hamstring injury."
Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Neymar will be assessed by Al Hilal staff after suffering the apparent hamstring issue.
It has been a frustrating few days for the winger, who failed to make Brazil's 23-man squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.
Speaking to reporters, Brazil manager Dorival Junior explained his decision.
"We decided not to bring him so as not to rush things," the 62-year-old said. "He's practically fully recovered, but he only had a few minutes, which weighed heavily on the decision.
"He was willing to be here but he also understood the situation, the condition he is in, the lack of minutes] on the field. We have to respect the club's process. A player of his level always has the pleasure of being here. This is very important to us, even though he is not in full condition."
