Neymar returns to Santos! Al-Hilal superstar takes time out of ACL recovery to watch boyhood club defeat Corinthians in derby clash

Neymar turned up at the Estadio Urbano Caldeira on Wednesday night wearing a T-shirt with the Santos logo on it. The Al-Hilal attacker looked on as Joao Schmidt fired the Alvinegro to a 1-0 win, lifting them to the top of the Paulista after six matches - though Sao Paulo could overtake them with a win on Thursday.

Neymar's appearance at Santos sparked suggestions that he could return to his boyhood club in the near future. Asked about the prospect of signing him, coach Fabio Carille said: "It would be great [to have Neymar]. We know it's difficult, a different player who can solve it... It's a distant dream, but let's dream."

Santos will likely have to wait until next year if they want to bring the 32-year-old back to the Brazilian league. He has a contract with the club until 2025, having joined from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window. The ex-Barcelona star managed just five games for Al-Hilal before he suffered a cruciate ligament injury and was ruled out for months.

The attacker will continue his recovery and was initially expected back before the end of the season. However, Brazil's team doctor has ruled him out until the start of next season, meaning the star will likely miss the Copa America this summer.