In Sunday’s 4-3 victory over Lille in Ligue 1, Neymar sprained his ankle, according to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
The Brazilian forward, who began the match at Parc des Princes alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, was emotionally carried off the field and replaced by Hugo Ekitike after 51 minutes.
Prior to being substituted, Neymar clashed with Benjamin Andre; the 31-year-old was PSG’s second victim of the game after left-back Nuno Mendes hobbled off in the first half.
Before to PSG’s crucial matchups with Marseille and Bayern Munich in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, respectively, the manner of Neymar’s departure instantly raised concerns about the ex-Barcelona player suffering yet another catastrophic injury.
After the game, PSG manager Christophe Galtier assured Amazon Prime that Neymar had avoided breaking any bones:
“It’s complicated at that time, there were injuries to Nuno Mendes and Neymar. Ney, it’s probably a sprained ankle, we’ll assess the severity of the injury. It is being examined.”
Following the final whistle, Les Parisiens issued a medical update, confirming that the South American had definitely sprained his ankle and that he will undergo more testing soon.
The update read:
“Neymar suffered a sprained ankle during the game against Lille and underwent an MRI scan today. It did not reveal any fracture. A new ligament assessment will be carried out in 48 hours,”
Neymar could be out for longer than expected for PSG
While PSG are yet to estimate how long Neymar will be out due to his sprain, the Brazilian international is already questionable for next Sunday’s Le Classique match against Marseille.
On March 8, Galtier’s team will travel to Munich to try to overcome a 1-0 lead in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 match. It is unknown if Neymar will be cleared to play in that match as well.
The former Santos youth helped PSG defeat Lille with a thrilling seven-goal victory, first setting up Mbappe and then increasing his team’s lead on the 17th minute.
Before Mbappe’s second of the day appeared to save a point for the hosts, Bafode Diakite, Jonathan David, and Jonathan Bamba revealed PSG’s defensive flaws to turn the game on its head.
But in the fifth minute of added time in the second half, the champs were given a free kick, and Messi took it, curling in the winning goal off the post to snap PSG’s three-game losing streak.
Galtier’s team leads the standings by five points, and Neymar has already amassed an impressive total of 18 goals and 17 assists from 29 appearances across all competitions this season.
Despite his impressive performances on the field, Neymar’s personal life continues to draw attention, and rumours of a probable summer exit from PSG are heating up.
The 31-year-old, whose deal at the Parc des Princes runs until 2025 with the option of another 12 months, is thought to have received offers from as many as five Premier League clubs.
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