The sight of Neymar being carted off the pitch in tears during Brazil's 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat against Uruguay was all too familiar. Al-Hilal subsequently confirmed that the 31-year-old had suffered a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his knee, and pencilled him in for surgery.
Neymar's operation was a success, but he still has a lengthy rehabilitation programme ahead of him. The experienced forward is not expected to return to Saudi Pro League action this season, and it has been suggested he is facing an uphill task to make Brazil's squad for the 2024 Copa America, which kicks-off on June 20.
Paris Saint-Germain reportedly sold Neymar in the summer due to concerns over his physical condition. He scored 118 goals in 178 appearances for the club after his world-record €222 million (£194m/$237m) move from Barcelona in 2017, winning five Ligue 1 titles along the way - but also sat out over 100 games due to injury.
Despite that miserable fitness record, Fernando Diniz is adamant that Neymar still has a vital role to play for Brazil in the coming years. "We wish him a good recovery and that he comes back stronger," the interim Selecao boss told a press conference last week. "I believe that he has yet to write the most beautiful pages of his history. This injury has not erased this possibility, it may have made it more difficult, but he will be able to use it as a strength to come back stronger."
Neymar will be 34 by the time the next World Cup roles around in Canada, Mexico and the United States. That beautiful golden trophy is one of the few missing from his impressive CV, but Brazil won't have any chance of lifting their sixth global title if he is still in the starting XI by then.
Facilitating an environment for Neymar to prolong his international career would make sense if Brazil were short of attacking talent, but they just so happen to be blessed with unprecedented depth in that department. The former Barcelona superstar's full potential is destined to go unfulfilled, but there are plenty of others primed to succeed where he failed, and it's time for a ruthless decision to be made.
