Neymar: Will Brazil football star miss India trip due to ACL injury?

Neymar’s latest injury setback has come as a big shock for the player, Brazil’s national team, and his new club Al Hilal, but also for Indian football fans. The former Barcelona and PSG forward tore his ACL and meniscus while playing in a World Cup qualifying game.

Neymar was in tears after injuring his left knee in the first half of Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay on Tuesday. Brazil’s all-time leading scorer was on crutches as he left Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

Neymar broke Pele’s Brazil scoring record last month with his 78th goal for his country in a World Cup qualifying match against Bolivia. He added his 79th in the same game, which ended in a 5-1 win.

“Brazilian and world football need a healthy Neymar because football is happier when he’s on the field," Brazilian football confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said.

The 31-year-old Neymar will need surgery, Al Hilal said Wednesday.

Neymar joined Al Hilal in August and has endured a slow start, with an injury limiting him to just three appearances in the domestic league and two in the Asian Champions League, in which he has scored one goal.

This is the latest serious injury Neymar has suffered.

At the 2014 World Cup, a knee to the back from Colombia defender Juan Zuniga in the quarterfinals ruled him out of the tournament with a fractured vertebra.

In March, his season with PSG ended after he had surgery on his right ankle.

Neymar’s India link

The injury to the star footballer has hurt him badly as he expressed in his social media post.

“It’s a very sad moment, the worst. I know I’m strong, but this time I’m going to need my friends (family and friends) even more. It’s not easy to go through injury and surgery, imagine going through it all again after 4 months of recovery. I have faith, too much… But I place the strength in God’s hands so that he can renew mine. Thank you for the messages of support and affection” he wrote on Twitter.

É um momento muito triste, o pior.
Sei que sou forte mas dessa vez vou precisar ainda mais dos meus (família e amigos)
Não é fácil passar por lesão e cirurgia, imagina passar isso tudo de novo após 4 meses recuperado.
Fé eu tenho, até demais …
Mas a força eu entrego nas mãos… pic.twitter.com/H7Rm7elzBA

— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) October 19, 2023

His injury had also come as a major blow to Indian fans who were hoping to catch a glimpse of the football superstar at home. Neymar’s Al Hilal are scheduled to play a match against India’s Mumbai City FC in the AFC Champions League at DY Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Neymar, however, is not expected to travel to India for the 6 November match.

Al Hilal while confirming the injury did not say how long Neymar is expected to be out, but it can take six months to a year to recover from ACL injuries.

That would likely rule him out for the rest of the season and place doubts over his participation in next year’s Copa America, which starts in June.

With agency inputs