Will Neymar play tonight for Al Hilal vs Al Ettifaq in Saudi Pro League?

Neymar recently returned to the pitch after a lengthy ACL injury

Last week’s Riyadh Derby ended Al-Hilal’s undefeated top-flight record for the season, cutting the deficit to second-place Al Ittihad to just one point going into gameweek 10.

But three days later, the Blue Waves got back to business as normal, defeating Iranian team Esteghlal 3-0 to keep their spot at the top of their group in the AFC Champions League Elite.

In that game, Aleksander Mitrovic recorded a hat-trick for his team, bringing his season goal total to 17 goals in 15 games across every division, 10 of which were achieved in league play.

Jorge Jesus’s team is still undefeated in 45 league games, with their most recent loss occurring in May 2023, even though they shared the spoils with their neighbours the previous time out.

Al-Hilal have won all 20 of their Pro League games at home, tallying two goals or more in all but one of those contests. The last time they suffered a loss at the Kingdom Arena was at the beginning of March 2023.

Also Read: ⁠Al Hilal vs Al Ettifaq Lineups, prediction, betting tips & odds

Will Neymar play tonight?

Neymar won’t play tonight as Al Hilal said on Wednesday that Neymar will likely need four to six weeks of rehabilitation and therapy following a hamstring injury, which heightened concerns about the Brazilian’s future with the Saudi Arabian team.

🚨🇧🇷 Neymar has suffered a tear in his hamstring and he will be out for 4-6 weeks, Al Hilal confirms. pic.twitter.com/ivZDOSnWZY

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 6, 2024

Neymar entered the game as a substitute in the 58th minute of Al Hilal’s 3-0 victory over Esteghlal of Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, marking his second club appearance after a 12-month injury hiatus.

Just three minutes left, the former Barcelona player had to be withdrawn after pulling up after attempting to reach for the ball.

“Unfortunately, it is not a simple injury and he seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue,” Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said Wednesday in a news conference in Riyadh.

Neymar took to social media to update his fans.

“Hopefully nothing too much,” he wrote. “It’s normal that after one year [out] this happens, the doctors had already warned me, so I have to be careful and play more minutes.”

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