Neymar Junior has given an update on his health, after he had to be subbed off during the Al Hilal’s AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal. The Brazilian star sent an optimistic message, and confirmed that he will go through more exams to rule out any serious injury.
“I felt like a cramp but very strong! I will do exams and hope it’s nothing more,” he wrote on his Instagram stories in Portuguese. “It’s normal for this to happen after 1 year, the doctors had already warned me. This is why I need to be careful and have more minutes to play,” he added.
The forward, who is returning to the pitch after over a year without playing, came on as a substitute at the 57th minute but soon had to be replaced after what appeared to be a muscle issue in his thight. The star had stretched his right leg to try to reach a pass, but immediately grabbed his leg and asked to be replaced.
This was just his second match with Al Hilal after fully recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a meniscus injury in his left leg, which he sustained while playing with Brazil during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in October 2023.
Neymar of Al-Hilal reacts after an injury during the AFC Champions League Elite match between Al-Hilal and Esteghlal (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
His recovery process has been slow, with him not even being registered to play in the first part of the Saudi Pro League this season. The 32-year-old star got surgery, and returned to training back in July, but suffered some setbacks until now. The Brazilian recently opened up about his time away from the pitch, saying that he “suffers each day” he’s away from soccer.
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Neymar’s return with Brazil has also been delayed
After Neymar returned to training with Al Hilal, there has been speculation about his imminent comeback with the national team. However, according to the latest reports, Neymar has asked the Brazilian Confederation to let him work on his fitness and return in the best conditions next year.
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With that in mind, it wasn’t a surprise that he wasn’t called up for the upcoming World Cup Qualifying matches against Venezuela and Uruguay, which are set for Nov. 14 and Nov. 19. He is now expected to return to the team against Argentina in March.
