Neymar out until January: Al-Hilal did not register him for the league

Neymar was not registered by Al-Hilal for the Saudi Pro League. A surprising fact, as circulating rumors were suggesting that he might make an early comeback from his injury - happened almost a year ago. As reported by 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' the former Santos, Barca, and PSG player will have to wait until January to take part in the Asian league's games. 

A couple of regular check-ups carried out a few hours ago turned into a cold shower for Neymar, as he will now have to wait two more months to recover from the surgery he underwent the previous year. 

The 32-year-old striker has almost spent a year away from the pitch, as he sustained a cruciate injury on the 17th of October 2023 in a match between Brazil and Uruguay. Once the international break returns next month, it will have been one year without football for the Brazilian international.

As of now, Neymar - who was brought to Al-Hilal for €90m - has only been able to compete in five fixtures for the Saudi Arabian club, giving rather disappointing performances. He was not in the best of forms and was merely able to contribute to the team, counting only 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games - poor for a player of his magnitude. 

Although he will not be able to play in the Saudi Pro League until January, Al-Hilal looks to use him before, as he has been included in the team's AFC Champions League shortlist. The Riyadh club will face Al-Rayyan (Qatar), Al-Shorta (Iraq), Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates), Esteghlal (Iran), Al-Sadd (Qatar), and Al-Gharafa (Qatar) in 2024, and Persépolis (Iran) and Al-Wasl  (United Arab Emirates) in 2025.