Published on 18.10.2023
Neymar Jr was stretchered off the pitch after picking up what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
The 31-year-old tripped in an incident in Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay , which Brazil went on to lose 2-0. Neymar went down shortly before halftime and was immediately surrounded by teammates.
He left the field on a stretcher, in tears.
The possible extent and the specific area of his injury are still unknown.
The player arrived in Saudi Arabia injured and he had just returned to the field a few weeks ago. This was his first Brazil call-up since the spring.
Brazil’s doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said it’s still too early to determine the severity of Neymar’s injury.
“We did all the tests and we will repeat them tomorrow,” Dr Lasmar said.
“Those 24 hours are key to see how his knee will respond, how swollen it will be and what images will show.
“Let’s wait for the exams with calmness, evaluate with calmness and tell you once we have a diagnosis.”
He recently returned to play after a right ankle injury that sidelined him for almost six months.
Neymar, who made his national team debut in 2010, has 79 goals in 128 appearances for Brazil.
Given his age and fitness problems, this latest issue could pose a real threat to the Brazilian’s ability to play at the highest level. The team’s medical staff have not yet released any information on the extent of the injury.
