Injured, Neymar is expected to miss the start of next season in Saudi Arabia

Neymar is expected to miss the start of the next Saudi Pro League season as he recovers from a serious knee injury, Al Hilal’s coach said on Tuesday.

The Brazilian striker suffered the injury in October and missed much of the current campaign, but Al Hilal still won the league for a record-extending 19th time earlier this month.

The Saudi league traditionally starts in August and the former Barcelona and PSG star will also miss next month’s Copa América.

“All I know now is that the time given to Neymar to recover and with similar injuries is approximately 10 to 11 months,” Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus told reporters in Riyadh.

“If we calculate mathematically, he will not be ready at the start of pre-season training,” added Jesus, whose champions have two games remaining in the current league campaign.

Neymar, 32, underwent surgery in Brazil in November due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and damage to his meniscus.

He broke down in tears during Brazil’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Uruguay in October after colliding with an opponent.

Neymar was ringside to see Oleksandr Usyk defeat Tyson Fury to win boxing’s first undisputed world heavyweight championship in 25 years in Riyadh on Sunday.

Neymar left PSG for Al Hilal in 2023, the latest world-famous footballer signed by the big-spending Saudi Pro League.

He earns 100 million euros per season in Saudi Arabia, while PSG pocketed 100 million euros in the deal.

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