The Brazilian’s brief return signalled another disappearing act and the question now is will he play for Al-Hilal again?

Seeing a substitute subbed off is rarely positive and that was the case on 4 November for Neymar. Off the bench in the second half of an AFC Champions League Elite match against Esteghlal of Iran, the 32-year-old was soon delighting fans in Riyadh with sombrero flicks and step-overs. There were more twists and turns but then, after 30 minutes, there was a pull. A slight stretch for the ball in the area and a second game back after a 12-month injury lay-off came to an end with yet another injury.

The Brazilian, no stranger to injuries, put a positive spin on it all. “Hopefully nothing too much ... It’s normal that after one year [out] this happens, the doctors had already warned me, so I have to be careful and play more minutes,” Neymar posted on social media. His manager at Al-Hilal, Jorge Jesus, was more circumspect. “Unfortunately it’s not a simple injury and he seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue”. The club have predicted a four-to-six week absence.