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Brazilian team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar has confirmed Al-Hilal superstar Neymar will miss the 2024 Copa America due to a serious knee injury.
The 31-year-old made headlines over the summer when he opted to join Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal for a reported transfer fee of €90 million over the summer. However, the former PSG ace has only been able to make five appearances for his new club, scoring one goal.
This is because Neymar suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee during Brazil's 2-0 loss to Uruguay in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on October 17. He underwent a successful surgery two weeks later but the Copa America will come too soon on his road to recovery.
Lasmar told Rede 98 (via ESPN):
"It's too early. There's no point in skipping steps to recover sooner and taking unnecessary risks. Our expectation is that he will be prepared to return at the start of the 2024 season in Europe, which is August."
He added:
"We need to be patient. Talking about a return before nine months is premature, this is a global concept for knee ligament surgeries recovery. It is very important to respect the biological time, the time the body takes to reconstruct that ligament. If we follow those steps and after a long recovery, the expectation is that he can perform again at a high level."
The 2024 Copa America is set to commence on June 20 and will end on July 14. Brazil have been drawn into Group D, alongside Colombia, Paraguay, and the winner of Costa Rica/Honduras.
Barcelona legend believes Neymar made a massive error leaving Lionel Messi and Co. for PSG
Barcelona icon Luis Suarez reckons Neymar made a massive blunder in leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017.
Neymar established himself as one of the best players in the world during his four-year stint at Barcelona. He netted 105 goals and provided 76 assists in 186 appearances across all competitions, forging a lethal partnership in attack with Lionel Messi and Suarez. He helped the Blaugrana win eight trophies, including the treble in the 2014-15 season.
However, Neymar opted to join PSG for a record-breaking fee of €222 million in search of Ballon d'Or glory. Suarez gave his verdict on the move, saying (via Football Transfers):
“We were very good friends, and we knew if we fulfilled our roles on the pitch, we would make Barcelona great. If one of us did not play well, the other two would make the difference. It was a spectacular relationship. We told him it was a mistake to go to PSG. If Ney wanted to be the best, he had to stay by Leo’s side. But, he made his decision, and it left a void in the team.”
Neymar had a decent six-year tenure at the Parc des Princes, scoring 118 goals and registering 77 assists in 173 appearances for the club. But numerous injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential there, denying him the chance to win the UEFA Champions League (despite making one final) and Ballon d'Or.
