Neymar, Al Hilal

Neymar Injury Update: When will the Brazilian superstar return for Al Hilal?

Arnav Kholkar

Brazillian striker Neymar Jr. is still a long way away from fitness for Al Hilal as the club prepares for the 2024/25 season, having won the Saudi Pro League this year. The Brazilian has been out with a cruciate ligament injury since October 2023 and is still a few months away from returning to training.

According to reports from international press and sources in Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian star’s recovery is going well.

As per Transfermarkt, Neymar Jr’s return is scheduled for the last week of July, barring any further complications in his recovery process. This means he will miss most of the games for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, but could make a miraculous return for Brazil.

Al Hilal’s performance in Neymar’s absence

The Brazilian last featured for the club in a comfortable 3-0 win over Nassaji Mazandaran in the AFC Champions League group stage. Neymar was among the scorers that night, helping his team earn a vital three points towards securing top spot in Group D ahead of Navbahor.

However, Jorge Jesus’ men have done incredibly well in the Brazilian’s absence. They won 34 games on the bounce after he got injured, and 42 of 44 in total, creating a huge gap between themselves and Al Nassr in second place in the SPL.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (28 goals), Malcom (15 goals), Salem Al-Dawsari (14 goals) and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (11 goals) have carried the goalscoring burden for the team in the Saudi Pro League this season. They ended the campaign as the top scorers in the SPL with 101 goals, narrowly edging out Al Nassr’s 100 goals.

Jesus’ men won the league title with 96 points from their 34 games and went the entire league season unbeaten as they dropped points in just three draws. The margin of victory over Al Nassr was 14 points as a dominant season came to an end. They also made it to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League but were eliminated after a 5-4 loss to Al-Ain on aggregate.

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Cruciate ligament injuries typically sideline players for anywhere between six and nine months. Considering Neymar suffered his injury in mid-October last year, it is fair to assume he will miss the remainder of the club season. He missed multiple games for Brazil, including their three FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina, all of which they lost. He also missed Copa America games for Brazil.

The forward has missed almost the entirety of the season but lauded his Al Hilal comrades for clinching the Roshn Saudi League championship and expressed his anticipation for getting back on the field next season.

The Brazilian has had his fair share of injury woes in the past, missing over 50 games for his clubs and country since the 2021–22 season. So far, he has made just five appearances for Al Hilal, scoring one goal and providing three assists.