A Saudi sports medicine doctor has made serious allegations regarding the treatment of players at Al-Hilal Football Club, claiming that improper medical injections have caused significant harm to the team’s stars.
The doctor, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, stated that the club’s former French physiotherapist, Grégory Dupont, administered injections that violated standard medical protocols. According to the doctor’s account, these actions have had damaging long-term effects on several key players.
The allegations specifically point to the cases of Brazilian star Neymar Jr. and Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The doctor claims that an injection given to Neymar following his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year was “completely contrary to the rules,” suggesting it may have complicated his recovery. For Bounou, it is alleged that an injection led to a muscle tear, sidelining him for a period.
Further, the doctor revealed that Portuguese midfielder Rúben Neves and Saudi player Salman Al-Faraj also received similar injections from Dupont. The doctor asserts that Neves experienced severe pain for two days following the treatment, while Al-Faraj’s condition reportedly worsened after his injection.
The core of the accusation is that Dupont, who left Al-Hilal in December 2023, employed a method that bypassed standard diagnostic procedures. The doctor alleges Dupont would inject players based solely on their description of pain, without first conducting necessary scans or examinations to identify the precise issue. This approach, described as a “blind injection,” is said to have directly caused muscle injuries in multiple cases.
These claims have surfaced amidst a challenging period for Al-Hilal, who, despite leading the Saudi Pro League, are contending with an injury crisis that has depleted their squad. The doctor’s statements suggest a direct link between the alleged medical malpractice and the team’s current fitness woes, framing it as a primary reason behind the physical decline of several marquee players.
