Neymar’s second injury since rejoining Brazilian football has left colleagues and supporters alike in sorrow, in what can only be characterized as a tragic sequence of events. After just 32 minutes of his much awaited debut start with Santos in the Brasileirao, the star forward had to leave the field before halftime due to pain in his left thigh during Santos’ 2-0 victory over Atletico Mineiro.
Neymar walked on the field with double leg support while sporting the number 100 shirt in honor of his centennial encounter at Vila Belmiro, but his dreams of leaving a lasting impression were crushed. The emotional toll was seen as he left the field; he was observed crying, which served as a moving reminder of the difficulties he had encountered.
Neymar motioned to the bench after Santos’ second goal, begging for a little more time in the hopes that he could endure the pain. But a few seconds later, he was kneeling on the grass, letting fate have its way, and was quickly replaced.
Despite his teammates’ consoling remarks, he was clearly frightened after being placed on the bench and was tending to his injuries with an ice bag on his leg as the weight of the situation weighed down on him. It looks like Neymar may miss a number of next games, which would be another blow to his difficult comeback to Brazilian football.
He had previously missed the Paulista semifinal match against Corinthians due to his initial injury. This latest injury is more heartbreaking because Neymar only made his comeback the weekend before against Fluminense.