Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has been ruled out for four weeks because of a hip injury and will miss the Champions League round-of-16 first-leg clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
The Brazil international came off injured during PSG’s 1-0 victory over Caen on Wednesday, and test results on Thursday showed the extent of the damage.
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“Neymar suffered an injury to the left adductor on Wednesday evening,” a PSG statement read. “On analysis of the clinical examination and imaging examinations, he will be unavailable for approximately four weeks depending on the course.”
Exactly four weeks from the night he suffered the injury would bring Neymar to March 10, which is when the return leg between PSG and Barcelona at Parc des Princes takes place.
Neymar expressed “great pain” and “immense sadness” in a post on his Instagram account on Thursday. He questioned his style of play and the criticism he receives, and wondered how much longer he can continue enjoying the game.
“Sometimes I feel uncomfortable with my style of play, because I dribble and end up getting beaten up constantly,” he said. “I don’t know if the problem is me or what I do on the field. This really makes me sad.
“It makes me too sad to have to hear from a player, coach, commentator or whoever that ‘he has to be beaten,’ ‘he’s a diver,’ ‘he’s a whiner,’ ‘child,’ ‘spoiled,’ etc. Honestly this saddens me, and I don’t know how long I can take it. I just want to be happy playing football. Nothing more.”
Neymar left Barca for PSG in the summer of 2017 in a world-record €222 million transfer, and this would have been his first return since then.
He was instrumental in the last meeting between the two sides in the Champions League, when Barca recovered from a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win the return 6-1. Neymar, then at Barca, scored two goals and provided the assist for Sergi Roberto‘s stoppage-time goal, which sealed a memorable comeback.
PSG, who were beaten finalists in last season’s Champions League, will already be without the injured Angel Di Maria for the Barca game, who injured his thigh on Sunday against Marseille.
Neymar also will miss league matches against Nice, AS Monaco, Dijon and Bordeaux.
PSG are third in Ligue 1, three points behind leaders Lille.
