Neymar, the Brazilian forward who joined Al Hilal in 2023, will not be able to participate in the upcoming Saudi Pro League season as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury. The injury occurred in October and caused him to miss a significant portion of the current season. Despite his absence, Al Hilal was still able to secure their 19th league title earlier this month.
Coach Jorge Jesus announced that Neymar’s recovery time for the injury is estimated to be around 10 to 11 months, which means he will not be ready for the start of pre-season training. This news comes as Al Hilal has two remaining matches in the current league campaign.
Neymar underwent surgery in Brazil in November to address a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage following his emotional departure from a World Cup qualifier after a collision with an opponent. Despite his injury, Neymar was able to attend a recent boxing match between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in Riyadh.
Neymar’s earnings in Saudi Arabia are reportedly around 100 million euros per season, while PSG received approximately the same amount in the transfer deal when he left the French club.