Doctor who operated on the Al Hilal striker says he will recover in August
Rodrigo Lasmar, the Brazilian national team doctor who recently operated on Neymar, has guaranteed that the forward will not be ready to play in next year’s Copa America.
Neymar was injured two months ago, in the middle of October, in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, and underwent surgery on November 2 for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee.
“It’s too early [to play], there’s no point burning stages to recover sooner and take unnecessary risks. Our expectation is that he’ll be ready to return at the start of the 2024 season, which is in August,” he told 98fm radio.
The 2024 Copa América will be played between June 20 and July 14 in the United States, so Lesmar is against burning stages in the rehabilitation of Jorge Jesus’ Al Hilal player, who is in Brazil recovering.
“We have to be patient. Talking about a return before at least nine months have passed is premature, that’s the worldwide concept for ligament recovery. It’s very important to take the biological time, the time it takes for the body to incorporate that ligament,” he added, believing in a full recovery:
“The expectation is that after that time he will be recovered to a high level.”
In November, days after the operation, Lesmar had already asked for patience. “He’s recovering very well, but of course he’s still in the early stages. It’s a complex injury, he’s torn the ligament and he needs to stay off his feet for a while. Because of the associated injuries, it’s going to be a long rehabilitation process, he’s aware of that. But he’s responding well, we’re satisfied,” he said at the time, quoted by Globoesporte.
