20 August (Reuters) According to coach Jorge Jesus, Brazilian winger Neymar may not be able to make his Al-Hilal debut until September due to an injury.
Neymar, 31, left Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday to join Al-Hilal on a two-year deal worth 160 million euros ($174 million), according to the French publication L’Equipe.
“Neymar is a creative and dynamic player who will help us advance, but he now has a little injury, and I don’t know when he will be able to play again. After a greeting ceremony on Saturday in front of 60,000 people at the King Fahd International Stadium, Jesus said, “Perhaps he will be ready in mid-September.
In the air above Al-Hilal’s home pitch, drones spelled out ‘Neymar is Blue’ before the former Barcelona player watched his new team held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Fayha.
The inclusion of Neymar in the Brazil squad for two World Cup qualifiers next month surprised Al-Hilal coach Jesus as well.
He is not ready, therefore I don’t know how the Brazilian national team could have contacted him, stated Jesus.
As he heals from an ankle injury suffered in February, Neymar, who hasn’t played for Brazil since the World Cup last year, has been named to the squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia on September 8 and Peru four days later.