Neymar suffered another injury on Monday, just his second game back after a 12-month absence due to a torn ACL. He was playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in their 3-0 win over Iran’s Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Elite.
The 32-year-old Brazilian had recently recovered from the ACL injury and came on as a substitute in the 58th minute in Riyadh. However, with just three minutes left in the match, Neymar had to leave the field after he appeared to hurt himself while stretching his leg to reach the ball in the penalty area.
Neymar has some time to rest and recover before his next match, as he is not listed for Al-Hilal’s upcoming games in the Saudi Pro League. His next game in the AFC competition will be on November 25.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored all three goals for Al-Hilal, securing a hat trick. The Serbian striker’s goals were all from close range: he scored after 15 minutes, added another shortly after the 30-minute mark, and completed his hat trick in the 74th minute.
Al-Hilal remains at the top of its 12-team group, with the top eight teams advancing to the Round of 16. They are ahead of their Saudi rival, Al-Ahli, only on goal difference. Al-Ahli won 5-1 against Iraq’s Al-Shorta, with former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino scoring twice in the first half.
Earlier in the day, Al-Wasl from the United Arab Emirates played to a 1-1 draw with Qatar’s Al-Sadd, while the match between Persepolis from Iran and Al-Gharafa from Qatar also ended 1-1.
