soccer
PSG: Neymar injury: how long is he out for? what games will he miss?
Paris Saint-Germain have a busy run-up to Christmas and the New Year but Neymar will not be a part of it. He remains sidelined after suffering an ankle injury.
After ceding top spot in their Champions League group to Manchester City last week, there was more gloomy news for Paris Saint-Germain on Monday as they learned the gravity of the ankle injury which Neymar suffered during the 1-3 victory at Saint-Étienne on Sunday night.
Neymar fell awkwardly following a challenge from Yvann Maçon on 83 minutes of the match - twisting his trailing left foot as he fell. The injury to his ankle was serious enough that he had to be carried off-field on a stretcher. He was later seen leaving the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard stadium on crutches.
Following tests on Monday, PSG gave an update on Neymar's injury in a statement. "The examinations carried out last night confirm that Neymar Jr suffered from a sprained left ankle with ligament damage. An unavailability of 6 to 8 weeks is expected. A new update will be made in 72 hours to clarify the diagnosis".
How many games will Neymar miss?
If Neymar's rehabilitation goes according to plan and he is sidelined for just six weeks, he should be able to return for the first game of 2022 - an away trip to Olympique Lyon on 9 January. In the meantime, he will miss Ligue 1 games against Nice, Lens, Monaco and Lorient as well as the final Champions League group match, against Club Brugge on 7 December. That game has little relevance for PSG, who are also through to the Last 16 although as one of the unseeded sides for ending as runners-up in their section.
However, if the recovery period is eight weeks, Neymar could miss a total of seven games. He should be fully recovered and fit to return for Brest's visit ot Parc des Princes on the weekend of 16 January.