The 31-year-old faces a long spell on the sidelines (Picture: Getty Images)
Brazilian superstar Neymar has thanked fans for their support after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament and says his latest injury nightmare is ‘the worst’.
The 31-year-old, who swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Saudia Arabian club Al Hilal in the summer, was stretchered off in tears during his nation’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay on Tuesday night.
Although the challenge looked relatively innocuous, Neymar tore his ACL and the meniscus in his left knee and is not expected to play again this season, with the recovery for such an injury being around eight to 10 months.
The devastating news comes just a few months after he recovered from ankle surgery and Neymar says the injury is a hugely bitter pill to have to swallow.
‘It’s a very sad time, the worst,’ wrote the former Barcelona forward on social media.
‘I know I’m strong but this time I’m going to need my people (friends and family) even more.
‘It’s not easy to go through injury and surgery, imagine having to go through it all again after four months of recovery.
Neymar was in tears as he left the field in Montevideo (Picture: Getty)
‘I have faith, but I place the strength in God’s hands so that he can renew mine.
‘Thank you for the messages of support and affection.’
Neymar has struggled with a series of injuries over the past few years, missing 144 matches since 2018, and now faces a race against time to be fit for next summer’s Copa America.
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‘Brazilian and world football need Neymar healthy and recovered, because football is happier when he’s on the pitch,’ said Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues in a statement.
Neymar is Brazil’s all-time top scorer after surpassing Pele’s record last month with his 78th goal for his country, adding a second as the Selecao beat Bolivia 5-1.
He is thought to be earning around £130million-a-year at Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal after signing a two-year deal in the summer but has only made five appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring once and laying on three assists.
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The 31-year-old faces a long spell on the sidelines.