Neymar excited to have returned to Al-Hilal training
Brazilian star is registered for the Saudi season and is getting closer to returning to the field
Neymar is getting closer to returning to action for Al-Hilal. Still working on his physical reconditioning after surgery on his left knee in November last year, the Brazilian shared videos of himself practicing finishing and expressed his excitement about his impending return.
— Dad is coming back — said Neymar on his official Instagram account.
In the images, published on Al-Hilal’s official account, Neymar appears to be finishing with his left and right foot, showing his usual accuracy. Expected to return this month, the player is registered in the Saudi federation’s competitions, after replacing Renan Lodi in one of the eight spots for foreign players .
After signing former Manchester City and Barcelona full-back João Cancelo, the Saudi club faced a dilemma over whether or not to register Neymar, as the squad had exceeded the limit for players born in other countries. However, Al-Hilal opted to put him in the place of the former Athletico-PR left-back.
Signed in August 2023 for €90 million (R$556 million) from Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar has played just five games for Al-Hilal, scoring one goal and providing two assists. Neymar suffered a serious injury to his left knee on October 17 last year while playing for Brazil in a match against Uruguay.
He was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus, requiring surgery. It was one of the most serious injuries in the 32-year-old player’s career, having already been out for six months at the beginning of 2023 due to a problem in his right ankle.
The recovery also took Neymar out of the Copa América, in which Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Uruguay in July. On September 17, Neymar would have been out of action for 11 months.
