Neymar suffers new leg injury, confirms Santos
Santos forward Neymar has been diagnosed with a new leg muscle injury, the club confirmed Friday, marking the latest setback in his protracted struggle to regain full fitness
- RIO DE JANEIRO — Santos forward Neymar has been diagnosed with a new leg
muscle injury, the club confirmed Friday, marking the latest setback in his
protracted struggle to regain full fitness.
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- The 33-year-old was forced off in the 34th minute of
Santos' 2-0 victory over Atletico Mineiro on Wednesday and subsequent tests
identified damage to the semimembranosus, one of the hamstring muscles, reports
Xinhua.
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- "It's still too early to give any definitive answer,
we don't have a diagnosis yet," said Santos coach Cesar Sampaio. "Now
we really have to pray that it's not something that will keep him out for a
long time."
-
- In a statement on its official website, Santos said the
latest injury was not a reoccurrence of a previous problem.
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- "The number 10 has already started treatment and ...
will continue muscle strengthening work," Santos said, without providing
an estimated timeframe for his recovery.
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- Neymar has struggled with a series of soft-tissue
injuries since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament last October
following a year on the sidelines.
-
- A brief return to form earned the former Barcelona and
Paris Saint-Germain star a call-up to the national team for World Cup
qualifiers in March but he was later withdrawn due to another muscle injury.
The 33-year-old, who has not played for Brazil since October 2023 because of a knee
injury, was replaced by teenage Real Madrid forward Endrick.
-
- "He will be reevaluated periodically for monitoring
and new treatment definitions," Santos said in the statement. "It was
known that these complications could occur, due to the time of
inactivity."
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- Neymar has made eight appearances for Santos and scored three
goals since returning to the club from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
