The dire fears have been confirmed: Neymar suffered a serious knee injury in the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Uruguay and looks set to be out for months
As Neymar himself and his club Al-Hilal announced on Wednesday evening (CET), the 31-year-old has torn the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee. An operation is necessary, which will probably be followed by a month-long rehabilitation and reconstruction programme.
The Brazilian superstar suffered the injury shortly after half-time in the Selecao’s World Cup qualifying match: In a running duel with Uruguay’s Nicolas de la Cruz, he had gone down without any direct opponent action after stepping wrongly with his left leg. His reaction after the first treatment on the pitch was already a sign of things to come: Neymar was carried into the dressing room in tears with his hands in front of his face. Further examinations in Sao Paolo then brought clarity. Neymar had already cancelled his onward flight to Saudi Arabia beforehand.
Not the first forced break
What will happen now is still open. The necessary operation has not yet been scheduled exactly, Neymar announced on his website. However, the treatment is being carried out in close coordination with the doctors at Al-Hilal and the medical staff of the Brazilian national team.
For Neymar, it is not the first injury that has slowed him down for a longer period of time. Last year, he had to take a break between February and June because he had surgery on his right ankle.
