By Jorge Hernandez
21 Oct 2024, 17:47 PM EDT
Neymar played 13 minutes of the Al Hilal match this Monday and with that he put an end to the long absence he had on the fields after the terrible knee injury that kept him away from football for 369 days.
Neymar, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus in his left leg in the match that the Brazilian team played on October 17, 2023 with Uruguay, came in for change by Nasser Al-Dawsari at 77′ and played the last minutes of the Asian Champions League duel against Al Ain from United Arab Emirates.
The Brazilian attacker, who turned 32 last February, had time to test the Al Ain goalkeeper with a cross shot that narrowly missed after a quick combination with the Serbian Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The match ended with a 5-4 victory for Al Hilal and highlighted the performance of Saudi attacker Salem Al Dasawari, who closed the match with a hat trick.
But all the focuses were on the return of Neymar, who Days before, he revealed in a video the suffering he had suffered due to his absence from the playing fields.
“What I want most in life is to play football. I have suffered a lot every day that I have been off the field. “This is what hurts me the most,” Neymar said through tears.
An ordeal that the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, among others, put an end to this Monday when he stepped onto the grass again at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Neymar’s first statement after his return
Immediately after the final whistle, the Brazilian star gave his impressions on his team’s social networks and said he was happy for his return.
“I feel good. It’s difficult. We have always been a good team, but I am very happy. I’m back“explained the forward.
Keep reading:
· Neymar breaks down in tears shortly after returning to play, after his serious injury
· Neymar is already training with the rest of his teammates at Al Hilal
· Neymar supports Vinícius Júnior to win the Ballon d’Or 2024