Al Hilal confirmed forward Neymar has suffered a hamstring tear that will keep him sidelined for up to six weeks.
The Brazil international suffered the injury during Hilal's 3-0 AFC Champions League Elite win over Esteghlal on Monday. Neymar, 32, was introduced as a second-half substitute at Kingdom Arena but was forced off on 86 minutes.
It was only Neymar's second game back for the Saudi champions after a year out with a cruciate ligament injury.
Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said during a press conference on Wednesday that he expected to be without Neymar for two weeks, though the club later issued a statement extending the timeline for rehabilitation to around four-to-six weeks.
"What I love most in life is playing football. I suffer every day that I cannot do it. This is what hurts me the most," Neymar told NR Sports in an interview.
The latest setback has led to speculation that the Saudi Pro League leaders may look to offload their expensive recruit during the January transfer window.
Neymar became the club's record signing last year when he joined Hilal for a reported fee of €90 million from Paris Saint-Germain.
The former Barcelona star is only registered to play for Hilal in the Asian Champions League and made his long-awaited return to first-team action last month during a thrilling 5-4 win against Al Ain.
Al Hilal already registered 10 players for the Saudi Pro League, which is the maximum quota for the clubs.
Saudi Arabian media speculated that Hilal may not register Neymar, whose contract ends in June 2025, for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season.
Neymar has played just seven games for the 19-time Saudi champions since signing in August 2023, scoring once while registering three assists.
