Leila Pereirapresident of Palm treesrruled out the possibility of signing Neymar for next season. In statements to the Brazilian media UOLthe Verdao owner pointed out that the Brazilian forward’s recent injuries and his current physical condition do not fit into the plans of the São Paulo club, which prioritizes players with immediate availability to compete.
Furthermore, who is in charge of managing one of the most winning clubs in recent times in Brazil, suggested that Neymar is close to returning to Santosthe team where he began his professional career.
“Palmeiras is not a medical department”said Pereira, in reference to the delicate physical situation of the Al Hilal attacker. Neymar suffered a thigh injury at the beginning of November, in only his second game after more than a year of inactivity due to a torn cruciate ligament in October 2023. According to medical reports, the player will be out of the field for at least one more month. “I want to invest in someone who can play tomorrow, if the coach decides”added the president.
Neymar’s return to Santos, the club that catapulted him to the elite of world football, seems imminent. The forward did not hide his desire to return to the team that has just achieved promotion to the Brasileirao and showed his enthusiasm for the recent achievement of the São Paulo team to the Brazilian Serie A. On social networks, the former Barcelona and PSG forward celebrated with an emotionally charged message: “We have returned to a place from which we should never have left.”
Santos also gave signs of its interest in realizing the return of its last great idol. Following relegation to the second division, the club suspended the use of the number 10 in honor of Pelé, a tradition that will resume in 2024. The club has already announced that the shirt will be back in play, fueling speculation that it will be Neymar the one who will use the iconic number again.
We must remember that a few days ago, in a recent Asian Champions match, the player himself Neymar Junior suffered a new injury that set off alarms in the Al Hilal team. During the match against Esteghlal, the attacker entered the second half and, after 27 minutes on the field, left with discomfort in his right adductor, according to reports. This incident occurred after the player delighted the spectators with a luxurious play that raised euphoria in the stands. The match, which ended in a 3-0 victory for Al Hilal, saw a hat-trick from Aleksandar Mitrovic.
However, attention focused on Neymar, who returned to the field after a long 371-day recovery from a torn cruciate ligament. The previous injury seemed to be behind him, and the Brazilian was showing flashes of his talent on the field.
The critical moment came in the 85th minute when Neymar tried to control a ball in the rival area and felt pain that led him to put his hands to his face.. Despite trying to stay on the field, the pain forced him to drop to the ground and grab the back of his right leg. The team doctors quickly came to treat him, but the discomfort forced him to leave the game before completing half an hour of play.
While he is undergoing his recovery, the Brazilian star is expected to return within a month for what will be the duel against Al Raed for the Saudi Pro League. Al Hilal is in first position in the tournament after the first 10 games: it has 28 points and is undefeated as a result of nine wins and one draw.
