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• No Neymar return until 2025, says Al-Hilal boss Jesus

  Neymar will not return from his anterior cruciate ligament injury until January 2025 at the earliest, Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus has warned.

  Neymar left Paris Saint-Germain for Al-Hilal in a €90million deal in August 2023, becoming one of the faces of the Saudi Pro League's major recruitment drive.

  However, he only played five matches for the club before rupturing his ACL while on international duty with Brazil last October.

  The 32-year-old subsequently missed the remainder of the season as well as the Selecao's ill-fated Copa America campaign, and he remains some way away from a return.

  Neymar was removed from Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League squad in September, with the 19-time champions only able to register a maximum of eight foreign players for the first half of the season.

  Reports had suggested Neymar was close to a return after Al-Hilal posted footage of him training on social media, but Jesus says Brazil's all-time leading scorer must wait until the halfway point of the campaign before being considered.  

  "Neymar is an important player for Al Hilal and the league in general," Jesus told reporters on Tuesday. 

  "I can't, however, specify a date as to when he will return, but we will look at the situation in January."

  With no restrictions on foreign players featuring in the AFC Champions League, Neymar could, in theory, play in that competition if he returns to fitness before January. 

• Al-Bukayriyah 0-1 Al-Hilal: Leonardo sends defending King's Cup champions through

  Marcos Leonardo's first-half penalty was enough to book Al-Hilal a spot in the King's Cup round of 16 with a 1-0 win over Al-Bukayriyah.

  The defending champions dominated from the start, with Abdullah Al Hamddan and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic both seeing early efforts saved by Dziugas Bartkus.

  Al Hamddan then won the game-winning spot-kick in the 40th minute, being brought down in the box by Ibrahim Al Sunaytan, and Leonardo made no mistake from 12 yards.

  Al-Hilal kept pushing for another goal, with substitutes Renan Lodi and Aleksandar Mitrovic both testing Bartkus in the second half, but they could not add to the scoreline.

  Neymar, who is gearing up for his return to action after a year on the sidelines, was not involved for Al-Hilal, who lead the way in the Saudi Pro League.

  Data Debrief: Leonardo proves the difference

  Al-Hilal were dominant in the first half, completely overwhelming their opponents as they had 12 of their 17 shots before the break, getting five of those on target.

  But across the 90 minutes, it was Leonardo who was the standout, having the second-most shots (three) and accumulating 0.82 expected goals (xG).

  His only shot on target may have been the winning penalty, but he proved a handful as he also had the most touches in the opposition box (10).

• Bonmati aiming to follow Cruyff's footsteps in creating Barcelona history

  Aitana Bonmati is aiming to create more history with Barcelona this season after signing a three-year contract extension last week. 

  Bonmati, who is in the running to claim a second Ballon d'Or this year, surpassed Alexia Putellas as the highest paid women's player at the club with her fresh terms. 

  The Spaniard has already won 23 different trophies in her time with the senior side, placing her eighth in the all-time ranking for most titles for Barca. 

  Bonmati has become an integral part of Pere Romeu's team, netting in the Women's Champions League final against Lyon back in May. 

  The midfielder's goal in the showpiece match in Bilbao also put her level with team-mate Putellas for the most goals in the history of the competition (22).

  Bonmati has featured in all three of Barca's games this season, scoring once while also being involved in the most attacking sequences in Liga F this campaign (25). 

  In her first interview since completing her new deal, Bonmati reflected on the influential figures in her career such as Johan Cruyff. 

  "I wasn't able to meet him in person, but I am aware of his importance in the world of football and Barca," Bonmati said. 

  "He changed the rules, both on and off the field. As a coach, he implemented a model that Barca now uses at all ages.

  "I am fortunate to be an ambassador for his foundation." 

  After winning all there is to win with Barca, Bonmati is still striving for more success. 

  She revealed that her winning mentality is what gets her out of bed every day, saying: "The day it is not there then I will no longer be the player I am."