Neymar's future in doubt at Al-Hilal

The Neymar recovery saga at Al-Hilal is, as they say, alive and well. The Brazilian superstar arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2023, but to date, Neymar has not regained his ideal shape after a serious knee injury suffered in October of that same year. This certainly is grim news for Neymar's fans and Al-Hilal, as he is likely to be out until 2024, or even 2025. Only recently, it has been confirmed by Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus that there is still no return date yet for Neymar, and the club has yet to register him in the Saudi Pro League.

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One year out-an uncertain future

Neymar seriously got injured on 8th October 2023 during his international time with the Brazil national team while playing the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against Uruguay. On that day, No.10 tore up the front cruciate ligament and meniscus of the left knee. Since then, the battle to recover has been tough, not just for the player himself, but also for the club. After undergoing surgery in the immediate aftermath of the injury, Neymar would not take part in the rest of the season, while plans to dominate Saudi soccer were put on hold until further notice.

Jorge Jesus was crystal clear, explaining that Neymar is a kind of player who is important, not only to Al-Hilal but to the entire Saudi league. The presence of the Brazilian in the championship gave an absolutely new total attention to the local soccer. However, the recovery of Neymar went slower than forecasted. Initially forecasted to return in 2024, Neymar's comeback is now expected to be reassessed in January 2025.

A million-euro investment on hold

The opposite happened in Neymar, who, with a signing of 90 million euros for Al-Hilal, had great expectations. The player brings with him the full weight of being one of the most important soccer stars on the globe and, of course, a strong economic impact for the club and the Saudi League in general. His two-season contract, which includes salary, bonuses, and commercial deals, comes up to an astonishing 320 million euros. Until now, though, Neymar has played only five matches with Al-Hilal, scoring just one goal and providing three assists-very low compared to what was expected.

By not summoning Neymar into Al-Hilal's roster for the Saudi Pro League, the team did not want to sacrifice one of their other foreign players. The decision-irrespective of whether it is purely technical-comes to mirror the reality that, with all the talent Neymar has, his physical condition remains very much in question. It seems like the most sensible choice to keep him out until he's 100% recovered. Still, pressure is ever-present to get him back and justify the big investment laid out.

Neymar's recovery and Al-Hilal's future

Neymar is now at an advanced stage of his recovery and does training with the ball, but Jorge Jesus and his coaching staff are cautiously optimistic. They will try to reassess probably Neymar in January 2025 and return him gradually to the squad. Meantime, the waiting game remains a great test of patience for Al-Hilal and the fans, who have so far been deprived of the full Neymar in the Saudi club's jersey.

According to local media, he will need an extra two months of rehabilitation more than what was initially expected. With that, a 2024 return that has already looked very far now seems even farther. All this growing uncertainty puts more pressure on both the player and the club that had counted on Neymar as not only a vital player on the field but also a crucial asset for marketing and league visibility.