Neymar suffered another injury in his second match after a year away due to a serious physical problem. The 32-year-old Brazilian played just under half an hour in his team’s 3-0 victory, Al Hilal, from Saudi Arabia, over Esteghlal, from Iran, this Monday (4), in the Asian Champions League.
The striker entered the field in the 13th minute of the second half and left it in the 41st minute. The nature of the injury was initially unclear, but he demonstrated difficulty with his right leg, which is not the problem that kept him away from football for 369 days: a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in the left knee.
“He came back from an injury that is not easy and plays in a position that makes him very vulnerable to contact,” said coach Jorge Jesus, recalling a hard foul suffered in the game. “I believe his injury is muscle, not knee. He should be out for at least two weeks.”
The return had taken place on the 21st. On that occasion, the São Paulo native was called on by the coach in the 32nd minute of the final stage in Al Hilal’s 5-4 victory over Al Ain, away from home, in the United Arab Emirates. As he is not registered in the Saudi Championship, he had to wait for the next round of the continental tournament.
This time, he was called up earlier, but he was unable to finish the duel on the field, frustrating the audience at the Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh. The game was practically resolved in the first half, with two goals from Serbian center forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, and the fans began to demonstrate their anxiety about the number 10’s presence on the field.
When he finally entered, Neymar soon got involved in an argument with midfielder Niknafs, with whom he would have other arguments. With the ball at his feet, he alternated between good moments, like a beautiful hat, and moves in which the lack of rhythm was evident. In one of them, he received it from his compatriot Malcom in a good position in the area and failed in his attempt to dominate.
Looking for the game, the Brazilian drew a yellow card for Zamani, who hit him from behind. And he saw the excellent Mitrovic score his third goal of the game: one with his left foot, one with his right foot, one with his head. There was no shot on goal – a shot from outside the area was blocked – and then he left the field, irritated, with his hand on his right thigh.
The details of the injury – muscle problems are not uncommon after long absences – are yet to be known, but the athlete’s expectation is to grow, little by little, and be in the next call-up for the Brazilian team, next year. He was left out of the list released by coach Dorival Júnior last Friday (1st), with the athletes who will play against Venezuela and Uruguay, in the World Cup qualifiers.
The entire process of Neymar’s return has been monitored by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation). Team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar traveled to Riyadh last month to carry out an assessment of the 2023 injured knee and prepare a report. It was decided that the return would not take place now, but, as Dorival Júnior already stated, Neymar’s place “is saved”.
“He only had a few minutes on the field, that’s what weighed heavily”, said Dorival, last Friday (1st), when justifying the player’s absence from the squad. “He was willing to be here, he would really like to be involved, but he also understood the situation, the condition he is in and the demands we would make, with him on the bench or on the field.”
The coach praised the athlete’s behavior and disposition after the long absence. “An athlete of his level has to have the pleasure of being here, and he has always shown that. We have to praise this attitude, it is no different now. Physically, he depends on a complement. God willing, from now on, he will have a big evolution,” he said.
The next step was not the best.
