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September 8, 2024
According to a recent report, Neymar is still several months away from fully recovering from the injury that has kept him out of the game since October 2023, so his return to football will have to wait. The tenacious Brazilian has been sidelined since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) early in the 2023–24 season while playing for his country internationally.
Neymar announced his retirement from the European scene in the summer of 2023, moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. After a disappointing couple of years in France, the forward was expected to get a fresh start with the £78 million move. Sadly, he suffered an ACL tear early in the season and could only make five appearances for his new team. He has now missed 11 months due to injury, and it will take him at least a few more months to be ready to play again.
He’s not prepared to go back.
Since his injury, Neymar has informed fans about his recovery via social media posts. Still, things could be better than he had hoped. A Saudi physiotherapist recently broke the news via Daily Mail. He posted an update under the username @ithamer_7 to inform supporters that Neymar had not passed his medical tests and would not return to the field anytime soon.
The post was made following his earlier posting and reporting of a video showing the Brazilian exercising as part of his recuperation process. Saying: “Neymar’s lack of stability and confidence during jump exercises was apparent, particularly in his knee, which showed signs of weakness during landings.”
Neymar has suffered a severe blow, which is just the most recent episode in what is rapidly turning into a disastrous period in Saudi Arabia. Only a summer ago, he was one of the biggest stars in the world, and he made waves when he moved to the Saudi Pro League. However, his move will go down in history as one of the biggest financial wastes in football history, especially as so many other stars have joined the division and are succeeding. Fortunately, it hasn’t hurt the club’s performance or overall ambitions.
Spending £78 million on Neymar and losing him after just five appearances should have been a significant blow for Al-Hilal. His absence could have severely impacted their on-field performance, as he was expected to be a key player in their push for success, potentially weakening their chances of achieving their goals this season.
However, they went on to win the league without him, demonstrating their strength as a team. A player of his caliber leaving should have made the difference between winning and losing.
However, that wasn’t the case. Despite Neymar’s absence, Al-Hilal adapted and dominated the Saudi Pro League. Key players stepped up, and the team showed its depth and resilience, proving it could succeed without relying on one star and solidifying its position as the league leader.
The Last time out, the team finished first and won the title, going the entire league season undefeated. They finished with 14 more points than second-place finishers Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo. Around the same time as Neymar, players like Ruben Neves and Aleksandr Mitrovic joined, and they went on to have incredible seasons that propelled the team to victory.
With the Brazilian’s return, the club’s chances of winning should improve, even though they’ve performed impressively without him. His presence adds valuable experience and skill that could make a critical difference.
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