Neymar's injury raises concerns over his involvement in Al-Hilal's clash against Mumbai City FC in India

Brazilian superstar Neymar appeared to have suffered a significant injury and was carried off a stretcher during Brazil’s clash against Uruguay on Tuesday, October 17.

Neymar, who returned from a lengthy lay-off recently, faces the possibility of another setback that might rule him out for the upcoming clash against Mumbai City FC. The AFC Champions League tie was scheduled on October 23 in Saudi Arabia and again on November 6 in Mumbai.

The anticipation surrounding Neymar’s arrival in India was considerable when Al-Hilal SFC was drawn to face Mumbai City in the AFC Champions League group stage.

Such was the excitement that the club had to change the venue to the 55,000-seater DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai due to the high demand for tickets to witness Neymar in action.

In the game against Uruguay, the forward was tripped by Nicolas de la Cruz in the 44th minute and appeared to be in severe pain. He was subsequently carried off and could be seen in tears as he left the pitch.

Although the extent of his injury remains unconfirmed, Brazil’s national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar provided an update.

"These 24 hours will be important to see how the knee will respond, how will be the swelling," Lasmar said. “Imaging tests that will define a definitive diagnosis. It’s too early to say [if it’s a ligament injury]. Let’s wait for the exams calmly, evaluate calmly, and as soon as we have a definition we will let you know."

In Neymar’s absence, Brazil suffered a 2-0 defeat to Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, with goals from Darwin Nunez and Nicolas de la Cruz sealing a historic victory for the country.

Mumbai City FC set to face huge test in the AFC Champions League

The Islanders' domestic form and their form in the continental competition have been completely different. They started their AFC Champions League campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Iranian club FC Nassaji Mazandaran in Pune.

On the second match-day, they traveled to Uzbekistan to play Navbahor. Des Buckingham’s men started the game strongly and had an opportunity to take the lead in the first half when the referee awarded them a penalty. However, Greg Stewart’s effort was parried away by Navbahor’s goalkeeper to keep the scorers level.

Mumbai City were made to pay for their missed chances, as the Uzbekistan side scored three goals in the second half to secure a resounding victory.

With two defeats to their name and games against Al-Hilal on the horizon, Mumbai City’s prospects of advancing to the knockout round appear grim. Even without the potential of facing Neymar, the Saudi Arabian club boasts players like Ruben Neves, Aleksander Mitrovic, and Malcom in their ranks.

Indian fans, however, were eager to witness one of the world’s best players in action. They will hope that Neymar’s injury setback will not keep him sidelined for an extended period.