06 March 2023 , 17:08
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Neymar’s season is over due to injury.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, 30, will undergo surgery on the ankle injury suffered during the win over Lille last month. It is set to rule him out until the summer.
The Brazilian has struggled with a number of ankle issues during recent years and was in tears as he left the field at the Parc des Princes on a stretcher on February 19. Having scored PSG’s second goal in a dramatic 4-3 win, he landed awkwardly on his ankle following a 51st minute tackle, undergoing lengthy treatment before being taken from the field. It was the same ankle he injured during the World Cup in Qatar.
Initial tests in the aftermath of the win showed that he had suffered a sprained ankle but no fracture. However, those previous issues have caused a weakness in the ligaments, which, if untreated will continue to leave the ex-Barcelona man more susceptible than most to recurring ligament issues.
Thus, after further medical analysis, a decision has been made for Neymar to undergo surgery. PSG confirmed: “Neymar Jr has had several episodes of right ankle instability in recent years. Following his last sprain contracted on February 20, the medical staff of Paris Saint-Germain recommended a ligament repair operation, in order to avoid a major risk of recurrence. All of the experts consulted confirmed this need.
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"This surgery will be performed in the coming days at ASPETAR Hospital in Doha.”
Neymar being taken from the field during PSG's win over Lille (AFP via Getty Images)It is a blow for PSG to be without one of their star names for the remainder of the season. Neymar has scored 18 times and registered 17 assists for Les Parisiens’ in 29 games this term.
But there have been suggestions that the side is better balanced without him, operating with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi as a front duo with eight subservient stars behind them, rather than having the three superstars lead the attack with seven behind to back them up.
Certainly, the recent 3-0 dismantling of bitter rivals Marseille at the Stade Velodrome, with Mbappe scoring twice and Messi the other, suggested as much. Those two will need to be on top of their game in the Champions League on Wednesday, when PSG look to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit against Bayern in Munich.
There is also the possibility that Neymar does not return to the Parc des Princes next season, and that he has played his final game for the French club.
His relationship with Mbappe has been called into question on numerous occasions over the past two years with the Frenchman understood to have wanted Neymar sold last summer, a sentiment that it's believed is unlikely to have changed since.