When Will Neymar Return to Action for Al Hilal? All You Need to Know – News18

Fans may have to wait for a few months to witness Neymar’s return to competitive action. The Al Hilal star has been out of professional football since October last year. He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his left foot while representing Brazil in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. The injury had an unfortunate impact on his career in Saudi Arabia. Neymar missed the entire season and failed to feature in the Copa America as well. The Brazilian star was expected to make a comeback for Al Hilal this month but he reportedly failed a recent medical test which may delay his return by “two months”.

Last week, a Saudi Arabia-based physiotherapist shared a video of Neymar on X (formerly Twitter). The Brazilian international was captured undergoing jump tests, which is regarded as “one of the exercises that are applied in the advanced stages of treatment and preparation.”

It was claimed that Neymar lacked “stability” during the test which exposed “weakness in knee descent.” He appeared to be underconfident while “landing with one foot forward.” “This explains the possibility of his inability to pass the tests now, and it is better to continue preparing until reaching the highest level,” read the post.

The physiotherapist shared another post the next day and claimed, “Neymar did not pass the physical and medical tests. I mentioned previously in the video about the weaknesses and defects that the Brazilian star complains about. It will take longer to complete the qualification and preparation.”

Neymar will be desperate to regain his fitness as early as possible to recapture his place in Al Hilal. Before enduring the ACL injury, the 32-year-old had featured in five matches for the Saudi Pro League side across competitions and scored one goal while providing three assists.

Neymar brought an end to his career in European club football last summer after spending six seasons at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The former Barcelona footballer signed a £78-million deal with Al Hilal last year. Neymar signed a two-year contract with the Saudi outfit. During his stint at PSG, Neymar registered 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 matches.