Brazilian star Neymar, who has been sidelined for seven months, revealed that he is experiencing a “painful” progress in his recovery from the injury and surgery he underwent for his left knee's ACL and meniscus. He denied rumors about leaving Al-Hilal to return to his childhood team, Santos. Speaking at an auction for his charitable foundation in Sao Paulo, he stated: "It’s a painful matter, there is a lot of suffering, but I am in the recovery process. Seven months have passed since my injury, and there are still a few more months to go, but we are reaching the recovery phase and getting back to the pitch."