Paris St Germain’s intense fixture schedule has played a part in Neymar’s latest injury, coach Christophe Galtier said, after the forward sprained his ankle and was stretchered off the pitch in Sunday’s 4-3 comeback win over Lille in Ligue 1.
Brazilian forward Neymar, who scored PSG’s second goal in the 17th minute, left the field in tears early in the second half after colliding with Lille’s Benjamin Andre and rolling his ankle.
“Neymar suffered a sprained ankle during the game against Lille and underwent an MRI scan today. It did not reveal any fracture," PSG said in a statement. “A new ligament assessment will be carried out in 48 hours."
The club did not provide details on how long Neymar would be unavailable.
PSG has been struggling since the start of the year, with stars Neymar and Lionel Messi underperforming. Neymar has been on the end of sharp criticism for a perceived lack of commitment after French media reported that he attended a poker tournament and dined at a fast-food restaurant a day after PSG lost to Bayern Munich 1-0 at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League round of 16.
Neymar, who damaged the same ankle at the World Cup in Qatar, gave PSG a 2-0 lead at the end of a fast-developing collective move he also started, slotting the ball into an empty net from Vitinha’s assist.
It’s unclear whether Neymar will be able to play next Sunday against Marseille in French football’s biggest match.
PSG host Nantes before taking on Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit.
Neymar has twice spent lengthy spells on the sidelines after sustaining metatarsal fractures before PSG’s last-16 tie against Real Madrid in 2019 and against Manchester United the following year, with the French side being knocked out on both occasions.
“This is not bad luck," Galtier said. “There are always reasons for injuries - the schedule, the sequence of games. It is never random. He is being examined to know the severity of his sprain.
“Of course, it complicates things and that’s the way it is. We have to keep our heads down. We’re going to do it again, but with a victory. That is more pleasant."
(With inputs from Agencies)
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