BEVERLY HILLS, February 11, (THEWILL) – Brazilian gifted forward Neymar will miss the UEFA Champions League trip of present club Paris Saint-Germain to his former side the Catalan giants Barcelona next Tuesday. This is due to an injury concern that effectively sidelines the playmaker for up to a month, at the very least.
PSG made the determination after confirming from the ultrasound examination that Neymar damaged his adductor with a grade 2 tear in the Coupe de France victory over 11th-placed Ligue 2 club Caen at the Stade Michel d’Ornano in Caen.
The 29-year-old left the pitch injured and after the match, Neymar’s PSG teammate and goal-scorer in the Caen match, Moise Kean, played down fears over Neymar’s injury, saying: “All is well, he is ready. Tomorrow, in training, he will recuperate. He will be ready for the match [against Barcelona].”
Team coach Mauricio Pochettino took precautionary measures by substituting the striker on the hour mark with French forward Kylian Mbappe. Sadly for Neymar, this adductor injury comes just after he returned from a month’s absence due to an ankle injury.
The estimated recovery time would also put Neymar in doubt for the home leg of the last-16 clash with Barca, scheduled for March 10 at the Parc des Princes. Most of the goal-scoring and chance-creating roles will now fall on Mbappe.
Last year, PSG reached the final of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), but a defeat to German champions Bayern Munich meant they still have to wait for their first ever UCL prize. Neymar’s absence against Barca might put that goal in jeopardy except players like Mbappe step up to the plate and Pochettino has tricks up his sleeve to implement.
As well as the first leg against the Catalan giants in Spain, Neymar will likely miss the Ligue 1 games with Nice, Monaco and Dijon.
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.
