Hyderabad: Saudi Pro League's club Al-Hilal have suffered a blow ahead of their AFC Champions League as they will miss the services of their star forward Neymar in a couple of matches against Mumbai City FC.
Neymar suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee during a game against Uruguay in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday. The former Barcelona player suffered a tackle from the opposition player Nicolas de la Cruz and was carried off the stretcher subsequently. MRI scans revealed the severity of the injury so Neymar will now have to undergo surgery and rehabilitation. The date of the surgery is yet undecided so Neymar will be unavailable for the club's fixtures against Mumbai City FC.
Al Hilal will host Mumbai City at the King Fahd International Stadium on October 23 while they will travel to India to lock horns against their Indian opponents at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 7.
With both teams set to lock horns in November, there was excitement among Indian fans to witness some great action from Neymar as he is one the best in the business right now. However, the possibility has been ruled out with the Brazilian facing an injury. So far in the tournament, Al Hilal are at the top of Group D as a result of securing one draw and one win from two matches. On the other hand, Mumbai City are at the bottom of the points table losing both their fixtures.
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