The Al Hilal forward recently made his return from a year-long injury lay-off, but during his second match back on Monday, he was seen limping and clutching his hamstring. The club announced on Wednesday that he is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks, leading to uncertainty about his future with the Saudi Arabian club, according to various reports.
“Unfortunately, it is not a simple injury and he seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue,” Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus stated Wednesday at a press conference in Riyadh, as reported by ESPN.
The former Barcelona star provided an update on his situation via social media:
“Hopefully nothing too much,” Neymar wrote. “It’s normal that after one year [out] this happens, the doctors had already warned me, so I have to be careful and play more minutes.”
At 32 years old, Neymar has just recovered from an ACL injury to his knee, but the current issue does not seem to be related. Al Hilal acquired Neymar for $90 million in August 2023, yet he has only appeared in seven matches for the club since his arrival.
With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, there is speculation that Al Hilal may not register Neymar for the upcoming second half of the season in January, a move that seems logical given his ongoing injury challenges. The club brought him in with the expectation that he would be a game-changer offensively, but he has scarcely played.
If Neymar were to depart from Al Hilal, it’s difficult to envision him attracting interest from elite clubs due to his limited playing time over the past two seasons. Injuries have plagued his career since his transfer from Barcelona to PSG in 2017.
Al Hilal is reportedly considering Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah as a possible replacement for Neymar. Salah has yet to sign a new contract with the club and is eligible to engage with other teams come January.
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