BEVERLY HILLS, March 09, (THEWILL) – Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have officially confirmed that their Brazilian superstar Neymar, who was absent from their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg tie, will also miss the second leg against Catalan bigwigs Barcelona, his former club.
His 2017 world-record blockbuster move to PSG from Barcelona caught worldwide attention and promised a European clash between both sides as an event to be excited about for European football fans. However, the Brazilian has been out since February 10 after picking up an adductor injury in their Coupe de France victory against SM Caen.
That injury took him out just after he returned from a month’s absence due to an ankle injury. It was unfortunate because, when the time finally came for the fixture fans had been waiting for since his big move to Paris, where he was going to mesmerise the team he left in his move to France, disappointment followed with his adductor injury sidelining him.
Many fans who endured that huge absence hoped that, at the very least, he was going to be back for the reverse fixture. However, today’s announcement from the club has meant more heartbreak for such fans.
As they continued preparations for the second leg of the European tie, PSG released a statement on Tuesday morning that confirmed the unfortunate news that Neymar continues to remain unavailable at the moment.
The statement read: “Neymar Jr resumed partial training with the squad last week and will continue his individual recovery work. A new point will be made in the coming days.”
The news will not matter much to PSG, even as they do what is best to get the player back at his best. However, their superb performance in the first leg, when they demolished Barca 4-1 at the Camp Nou, makes it very sensible to not risk bringing the Brazilian sensation in only for him to suffer another debilitating injury in the process.
The Mauricio Pochettino side is currently second in Ligue 1 and will hope to have Neymar fit for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, which they fully expect to make after such a comprehensive first leg victory away from home and in their current form with Kylian Mbappe doing his job in front of goal.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
