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Neymar is expected to undergo treatment and rehabilitation lasting four to six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury, Al Hilal confirmed on Wednesday, intensifying speculation over the Brazilian’s future with Saudi Arabian club.

Neymar made his second club appearance following a 12-month injury layoff by coming on as a substitute in the 58th minute of Al Hilal’s 3-0 win over Esteghlal of Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday.

The former Barcelona star then pulled up after stretching for the ball with three minutes remaining and had to be replaced.

“Unfortunately, it is not a simple injury and he seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue,” Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said Wednesday in a news conference in Riyadh.

Neymar took to social media to update his fans.

“Hopefully nothing too much” he wrote. “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.”

Saudi Arabian media speculated that Al Hilal may not register Neymar, whose contract ends in June 2025, for the second-half of the Saudi Pro League season.

Neymar has played just seven games for the 19-time Saudi champion since signing in August 2023 for a reported fee of $90 million. He is not currently registered to play domestic league games as the club has a full contingent of 10 foreign players, but is allowed to play in continental competitions.

A new registration window opens in January.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Aston Villa‘s winning run in the Champions League ended after a bizarre penalty incident Wednesday that coach Unai Emery described as the “biggest mistake” he’s ever seen in his career.

The mental lapse by defender Tyrone Mings, who conceded a spot kick by picking up the ball with his hand after a short goal kick by goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, gifted Club Brugge a 1-0 win.

Villa had won their first three games without conceding a single goal in the club’s first appearance in the elite competition since they were the defending champions 41 years ago.

“His mistake is completely strange. It’s the biggest mistake I witnessed in my career,” Emery said. “It has only happened one time in all my life. Today.”

A similar incident did happen already in the Champions League last season — but a penalty kick was not given that time.

In the quarterfinals, Arsenal defender Gabriel went unpunished for picking up a short pass from goalkeeper David Raya in the first leg against Bayern Munich.

Bayern’s then-coach Thomas Tuchel later criticized the referee who had said he would not award a penalty for a “kid’s mistake.”

A difference in the Villa incident was that the ball went forward out of the six-yard box with Martínez seeming to have intentionally restarted play early in the second half.

Mings apparently thought the ball was not yet in play. He walked forward to pick it up with his left hand and returned it to place it at the corner of the six-yard box.

Brugge captain Hans Vanaken converted the penalty in the 52nd minute to give Brugge a 1-0 lead, placing the ball to Martínez’s left as the World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper dived to his right.

Martínez tried to persuade German referee Tobias Stieler after the game that he had made a mistake.

VIlla defender Ezri Konsa suggested the referee compounded his mistakes because Mings had previously been shown a yellow card in the first half.

“If it is a handball, deliberate, then [Mings] should get a second yellow, he’s on a yellow already so why not send him off for that then? It killed the game,” Konsa told British broadcaster TNT in a post-game interview.

Villa had been the surprise leader in the 36-team standings and provisionally dropped to fifth before hosting Juventus in three weeks’ time.

Brugge has six points from two wins and two losses, and was in 20th place. After all eight rounds in January that would earn a place in the knockout playoffs round.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.