Exam confirms rupture of Neymar’s ligament and meniscus – 10/18/2023 – Sport

Striker Neymar, 31, suffered tears in the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during the 2-0 defeat against Uruguay in the World Cup qualifiers, the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) reported this Wednesday afternoon. fair (18). The injury was confirmed after clinical and imaging exams in São Paulo.

“The attacker will undergo a surgical procedure, on a date yet to be defined, to correct the injuries”, says the CBF note, which also informs that the medical department of the Brazilian team, under the supervision of Rodrigo Lasmar, and that of Al Hilal , the Saudi club where the athlete plays, are in permanent contact.

The player felt the injury in the 44th minute of the first half, after a ball dispute with Uruguayan midfielder De la Cruz. The player’s reaction to the play – he had an abnormal rotation in his knee when he tried to place his foot on the pitch and was carried away – already indicated the severity of the injury. He left the Centenario stadium in Montevideo with the support of crutches.

In an interview with Sheet Before the injury was confirmed by the CBF, Júlio Cerca Serrão, coordinator of the Biomechanics Laboratory at the School of Physical Education and Sport at USP (University of São Paulo), estimated that the deadline for the player’s return to the field would be at least six months.

Most likely, however, it will take between eight and 12 months for the national team’s star to return to the field, said the expert. Depending on the speed of recovery, this could be the athlete’s longest period of inactivity. To date, the injury that has kept him off the field for the longest time (six months) was a sprain in his right ankle, with ligament damage, between February and August of this year.

The president of the CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, lamented the injury suffered by the star of the Brazilian team. “Brazilian and world football needs Neymar well and recovered, because football is happier when he is on the field,” said Rodrigues.

The Al Hilal player has suffered from a long history of injuries in recent years. Considering what he suffered in the defeat to Uruguay, he already has 17 more serious problems that have taken him out of action since 2014.

The new absence from the field marks a practically lost year in the player’s career. The Brazilian played just 17 matches in 2023, including Paris Saint-Germain (the club he recently left), the national team and Al Hilal.

The Saudi Arabian team invested around 90 million euros (R$480 million) in signing Neymar, who had made his debut for the new club on September 15th. “Come back stronger”, the team published on its social network.

According to Serrão, the injuries suffered by the attacker result from a series of factors, such as the way and speed with which he moves on the field, the player’s physical structure and his own history of injuries. “The 16 injuries before this made him vulnerable.”

With the confirmation of the seriousness of the injury in the game against Uruguay, Neymar will not be able to play in the next rounds of the World Cup qualifiers. Currently third placed in the South American qualifiers, the Brazilian team faces Colombia, fifth placed, on November 16th, in Barranquilla, and takes on leader Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, on the 21st, at Maracanã.

For Al Hilal, the return should take place after the end of the current Saudi Championship. The last round is scheduled for May 27, 2024.

FIFA must compensate the Saudi club for the injury suffered by the Brazilian. Football’s highest governing body makes a payment to clubs when a player is injured while serving the main team in competitions organized by it and is unable to play for more than 28 days.

“FIFA covers a maximum of one year of injury and the compensation amount is limited to 7.5 million euros (R$40 million)”, says Eduardo Carlezzo, partner at Carlezzo Advogados.

After the game in Montevideo and before the extent of the injury was confirmed, the player made a post on Instagram. He once again quoted a biblical verse that he had already published before his departure. “In his heart a man plans his path, but the Lord determines his steps”, says the message from the national team striker. He further added: “God knows all things.”