Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus has denied talks of a reported fallout with Neymar after their cup victory over Al-Jabalain on Monday.
Neymar had completed a move to Al-Hilal last month from Paris Saint-Germain for a reported fee of £78 million on a two-year contract.
The 31-year-old made a good impression on his debut after coming in the second half and providing an assist in his side’s 6-1 league win over Al-Riyadh two weeks ago.
However, a disappointing performance by the Brazilian followed days later when Al-Hilal were held to a 1-1 draw against Uzbek outfit Navbahor in their opening game of the AFC Champions League group stages.
He was also heavily criticised for another lacklustre display in Al-Hilal’s 1-1 stalemate with Damac during the week before being excluded from their travelling squad to face second-division side Al-Jabalain in the King’s Cup on Monday.
Despite reports of a potential fallout with head coach Jorge Jesus, the Portuguese manager asserted that there are no issues between him and Neymar and explained why the former Barcelona man is struggling for form in Saudi Arabia.
“I have a good relationship with Neymar and I did even before he came to Al-Hilal,” Jesus said in the press conference after their 1-0 victory over Al-Jabalain.
“Our attack will be different when Neymar gets back to his best. He returned from injury after a long spell on the sidelines and he only played two games with Brazil in the last international break and then two matches with Al-Hilal.
“I spoke with him and he said that he felt tired and that’s why I wanted to give him time to train individually until he is ready,” he added.