Brazilian forward Neymar, playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, was forced off the pitch on Monday during the AFC Champions League match against Iran's Esteghlal due to discomfort in the back of his left thigh. He hopes the injury “is nothing serious.”

The Brazilian star, who had recently returned from a year-long absence due to an ACL and meniscus injury on his left leg, made his comeback on October 21 against UAE's Al-Ain. This was only his second appearance since his return.

Neymar entered the game in the 58th minute, replacing Abdullah Al Hamdan, but was visibly in pain and frustrated 29 minutes later. After initially feeling discomfort following a tackle by Zamani, he overstretched his left leg, prompting his substitution by Mohammed Al Qahtani and raising further injury concerns.

Following Al Hilal’s 3-0 victory, with a hat trick from Serbian Aleksandar Mitrovic, Neymar reassured fans on social media. “It felt like a strong cramp. I’ll get tests done and hope it’s nothing more,” he shared.

“It’s normal to experience this after a year; the doctors warned me. I need to be cautious and gradually increase my playtime,” added the Brazilian, who is not registered in domestic competitions due to his ongoing recovery. Regardless of the injury’s severity, Neymar is expected to return on November 26 for Al Hilal’s fifth Asian Champions League match against Al-Sadd.

"Two weeks out, at least"

“He plays in a position that makes him vulnerable to contact. I believe this is a muscle issue, not related to his knee, and he’ll likely be out for at least two weeks,” stated Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus.