Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has avoided any fracture or break to his ankle after being stretchered off in Sunday’s home defeat to Lyon. However, the Parisians still face a nervous wait to discover how long they will be without the forward and whether he will be fit to face former club Barcelona in the Champions League knockout stages early next year.
Neymar Avoids Fractured Ankle in Lyon Defeat
Race Against Time to Get Neymar Back
After first examinations of the injury, it appears that Neymar has suffered a severe sprain rather than a fracture, which would have seen him out of action for significantly longer. In a statement issued this morning, PSG said: “The clinical and radiological assessment of Neymar Jr, following the sprain mechanism of the left ankle that occurred last night, is reassuring. A new point and new exams will be carried out in 48 hours.”
The Brazillian was carried from the field after the challenge by Lyon’s Thiago Mendes, who was initially only awarded a yellow card, but this was upgraded to a red after the referee observed the pitchside monitor for a second look.
Despite the first signs looking positive, Neymar will undergo more tests today (Monday, December 14) to discover the true extent of the injury. The French champions are currently third in Ligue 1 and are in patchy form. Therefore, they will hope they can get their star man back as soon as possible, especially with a trip to leaders Lille coming up soon.
In addition, PSG have been drawn against Neymar’s former club Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League. The two-legged tie does not take place until February, so if everything is positive with the next round of tests, the French side should have him back amongst the squad.
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