PSG has confirmed that their star Brazilian forward, Neymar, sustained a fractured metatarsal along with a sprained ankle during their recent showdown against Marseille.
Neymar, who made headlines last summer with a world-record transfer from Barcelona, is now expected to miss PSG’s pivotal Champions League last-16 second-leg fixture against Real Madrid scheduled for 6 March.
During the 3-0 victory over Marseille, Neymar was unfortunately stretchered off after an awkward fall while chasing a loose ball.
Medical scans have diagnosed a fissure in Neymar’s fifth metatarsal—the bone on the outer side of the foot—as well as a sprain to his right ankle.
While the club hasn’t specified the exact duration for his recovery, players usually take about three months to heal from such injuries. For context, Neymar’s teammate Gabriel Jesus missed a similar period last season due to the same injury.
This setback could see Neymar out for the majority of the rest of the Ligue 1 season, possibly returning only a few weeks before the World Cup kicks off on 14 June.
PSG currently trail 3-1 from the first leg against Real Madrid and face a tough challenge to advance, with the quarter-finals set for 3 April and semi-finals on 24 April.
Real Madrid’s coach, Zinedine Zidane, responded to Neymar’s injury news saying, “I hate to see a player get hurt and am never happy about injuries. We never celebrate when opponents are sidelined.”
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