French giants Paris Saint-Germain are sweating over the fitness of their star player Neymar.
The most-expensive football player has injured his metatarsal, and now he is set to miss the all-important Champions League fixture against Real Madrid.
The Paris side lost the first leg of their last-16 3-1 at Santiago Bernabeu on February 14, and now they are left with a huge task to do in the second leg at Paris on March 6.
The 26-year-old suffered his injury in the 3-0 win over Marseille in Ligue 1. He was stretchered off in the game at Parc des Princes on Monday. Following the game, the Brazilian also provided an update on his injury on social media, and it led to further speculation that he could be out for a considerable period of time.
Since then, multiple reports have come out on Neymar’s status. Early on Tuesday, Fernando Kallas of AS claimed that the star player would need surgery on his injury, thus making it impossible for him to play for at least two months.
PSG manager Unai Emery has denied these reports and has revealed that a decision is yet to be taken about Neymar’s injury.
“The reports Neymar will undergo surgery are totally false,” Emery said. “Today I met with the doctor, and he told me of the full extent of the injury and the decisions to be taken regarding his recovery.
“We will see how he progresses before making a decision, and that will be made with the player himself.”
However, Neymar’s father has claimed that his son will be out for six-eight weeks for the Parisian club. “PSG know that they will not be able to count on Neymar for the upcoming matches: his treatment will last six to eight weeks, whether there is an operation or not,” Neymar’s father told ESPN Brasil.
This pretty much confirms that unless a miracle happens, Neymar will miss the game. He failed to make an impact in the first leg as the Parisians conceded two late goals to lose the tie. The Ligue 1 side had an uphill task to turn around the tie. Their task has become even harder now with the news about Neymar.
For last few years, PSG have been trying to build a team that can achieve European glory. Neymar’s acquisition from Barcelona last summer was quite possibly the biggest step in that direction.
The Brazilian made an immediate impact upon his arrival in France. This season, he has scored 18 goals in Ligue 1 and six goals in Champions League. He has collected a total 102 fantasy points in EFL, which makes him the best-performing player in the league.
He has certainly made valuable contributions, and now Emery has a huge job of managing with his absence. He has the likes of Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler in his squad, and one of them is likely to find a place in the starting eleven against Real Madrid.
PSG claimed a 4-0 win at home against Barcelona in Champions League last season, and that performance would be the perfect benchmark for them, next week.
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