Neymar does not give up his role and undergoes injury treatment during a cruise – 12/28/2023 – Sport

Amid the recovery process from the serious injury to his left knee that should postpone his return to the pitch until August 2024, Brazilian national team star Neymar, 31, is attacking on other fronts.

The “Ney em alto mar” cruise began on Tuesday (26), a three-day sea trip full of shows by artists such as Péricles, Belo, Guimê and Orochi. There are also attractions such as a 4D cinema, casino, gym, restaurants, bowling alley and Formula 1 car simulator, in addition, of course, to the presence of the Al Hilal athlete.

Prices to guarantee a place in the cabins of the MSC Preziosa vessel started at approximately R$5,000, but could reach around R$30,000. According to the organizers, the approximately 4,300 tickets offered for sale were sold out by fans, with an estimated revenue of over R$20 million. Boarding and disembarking take place in Santos, with a stop in Búzios, in the Lagos Region, in Rio de Janeiro.

Publications on social media showed that the player boarded the cruise supported by a crutch on his right arm, but without the need for support for both arms, as was the case until a few weeks ago.

Neymar suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in October, during the Brazilian team’s 2-0 defeat against Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

According to the Brazilian team’s doctor, Rodrigo Lasmar, responsible for the surgery to restore the attacker’s injured region, the forecast is that Neymar will be able to return to play in a match only in August 2024.

As a result, Brazil will need to compete in the Copa América, which starts on June 20, in the United States, without its main player.

Through social media, Neymar showed that he is continuing treatment for his knee injury even during the cruise. He made a post on Instagram on Tuesday lying on a bed already inside the ship with his left leg wrapped in a device to speed up recovery from the injury, with the caption: “Treatment on the ride, okay?”

Announced on August 15th by the Saudi Al Hilal, who paid around 90 million euros (R$484 million) to PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) for the transfer, Neymar debuted for the new team just a month later, on September 15th , due to muscle injuries and commitments to the Brazilian national team.

For Al Hilal, the Brazilian, who has an estimated salary of 160 million euros (R$860 million) per year, played just five matches before suffering the injury at the Centenário Stadium, in Montevideo. The player has suffered from a long history of injuries in recent years and has had 17 more serious problems that have taken him out of action since 2014.

Neymar’s absence could make the recovery sought by the Brazilian team in 2024 even more difficult. The match against Uruguay represented the first defeat in a hitherto unprecedented series of three following the national team in qualifying games for the World Cup.

Amid the institutional crisis affecting the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), whose president Ednaldo Rodrigues was recently removed from office by decision of the Rio de Janeiro Court, the team enters next year with doubts about when it will be able to count on Neymar again. , as well as who will be the coach on the sidelines.

Initially, after the transition of interim Ramon Menezes, Fernando Diniz arrived in July as a buffer coach, with a one-year contract, until the arrival of the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, a desire for the CBF, now at Real Madrid.

According to the Spanish press, however, the Madrid club is considering proposing a contract renewal for the coach, who so far has not confirmed whether he will remain in Europe or come to Brazil.

If Ancelotti is seduced by the Spanish club’s proposal, there is still no decision from the CBF, which is being temporarily presided over by José Perdiz, president of the STJD (Superior Court of Sports Justice for Football), whether it will look for another name, in Brazil or abroad, or if Diniz chooses to stay.

If the option is for the Copa Libertadores champion coach to remain with Fluminense, he will have to deal with fans’ distrust due to the negative retrospective accumulated at the head of the team in 2023. And without Neymar, at least until the second half of the year.