PSG offer ‘reassuring’ update over Neymar ankle injury
PSG have offered an injury update on the fitness of Neymar, indicating that initial exams on his injured ankle are “reassuring”.
PSG suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lyon at Parc des Princes, which saw them knocked off the top of Ligue 1, but the most worrying news of the evening came in stoppage time as Neymar was the victim of a dangerous challenge from Thiago Mendes.
He immediately went down in pain and was carried off the field on a stretcher in tears.
However, PSG’s initial assessment of the injury is not as bad as first feared.
“The clinical and radiological assessment of Neymar Juniro following the sprain of the left ankle that occurred last night is reassuring. A fresh check and new examinations will be carried out in 48 hours,” a statement from the club reads.
Initially, there was fear that the ankle might be broken, although there now seems to be cautious optimism about the injury.
Neymar’s time in Paris has been plagued with a succession of physical setbacks, with a couple of metatarsal injuries in his first two seasons preventing him from featuring in the key stages of the Champions League.
Even during last term’s Final 8, he was not at full capacity as PSG reached the Champions League final, in which they were defeated by Bayern Munich 1-0.
This season has also proven to be disjointed. After missing the opening match of the season due to Covid-19, he was sent off against Marseille and suspended for two games.
He has also missed fixtures against Nimes because of injury and three games because of adductor problems.
Indeed, he has not managed to play in three successive Ligue 1 games so far this season but has returned nine goals and five assists in spite of this.
Despite the positive outlook on his injury, however, it seems highly improbable that he will feature in any of PSG’s final three matches of the year, which come against Lorient, Ligue 1 leaders Lille and Strasbourg.