Neymar undergoes ACL surgery in Brazil, could miss Copa America

Brazil forward Neymar went through ACL and meniscus surgery on Thursday at a hospital in the city of Belo Horizonte, local media reported.

The procedure was performed by national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar.

Neymar’s surgery took four hours, according to website Globo Esporte. The 31-year-old, who is expected to be discharged from the Mater Dei hospital on Saturday, injured his left knee in the first half of Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay on Oct. 17 in a World Cup qualifying match.

The recovery is expected to take between six and 12 months. He is likely to miss the next Copa America, which will be played in the United States in June.

Earlier on Thursday, Neymar posted a picture of his two children on Instagram with the message: “It is all going to work out fine.” Late on Wednesday, Neymar also used his social media channels to show him at the hospital.

Brazil’s all-time leading scorer was on crutches as he left Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. He had clutched his leg in visible pain and was then carted off the field.

Neymar broke Pele’s Brazil scoring record last month with his 78th goal for his country in a World Cup qualifying match against Bolivia. He added his 79th in the same game, which ended in a 5-1 win.

Neymar moved to Saudi Arabia from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth a reported 90 million euros ($98 million).

In March, his season with Paris Saint-Germain ended after he had surgery on his right ankle.

Reporting by The Associated Press.