Neymar will be out for at least two weeks due to a muscle injury he sustained during his second game back from a long-term injury, according to his coach at Al Hilal, the Saudi club he joined from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
The Brazilian star, 32, was substituted after just 26 minutes in the second half of Al Hilal’s 3-0 victory over Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Elite match, leaving the field with a suspected hamstring strain.
Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach, Jorge Jesus, confirmed that Neymar's knee is now healed but noted that muscle issues are likely to arise because of his long absence from competitive play. “Now he has a muscle injury. I don’t know how long he won’t be able to train, two weeks at least,” he added.
While Neymar is registered to play in the AFC Champions League, he was not added to Al Hilal’s squad for the current Saudi Pro League season, which began in August. Neymar earns a reported annual salary of around 100 million euros with Al Hilal.
On Instagram, Neymar wrote, “It felt like a cramp, but very strong! I’ll do some tests and hope it’s nothing more serious.” He acknowledged that the doctors had cautioned him about the risk of injuries after a year without play, so he will be mindful of his condition and gradually build up his playing time.
