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By Martin Graham | 7th Mar 2023
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar is now confirmed to be ruled out for the rest of the season thanks to the injury he picked up in his side’s 4 – 3 victory over LOSC Lille on February 19.
Neymar, whose PSG career has been plagued by injuries, has suffered another setback after it was confirmed on Monday that the surgery on his ankle will rule him out of any footballing activity for the remainder or the season.
Luckily for the French giants, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are both there to lead the line and have done so to great effect in the absence of their striker partner. However, it presents another issue for the club, who have been reported in the past to be disillusioned with the frequency of Neymar’s injuries.
He looked to be ending the season without a major injury, the first since he joined the club back in 2017/18. That dream is now shattered, thanks to Lille defenders and Neymar’s fragile ankle that has seen so many doctors’ in the past few years.
A statement from PSG confirming that Neymar will miss the rest of the season read: “Neymar Jr has sustained a number of instances of instability in his right ankle in recent years. Following his latest sprain, the Paris Saint-Germain medical staff recommended a ligament repair operation to avoid a major risk of recurrence.
“All the experts consulted have confirmed this necessity. The surgery will be performed in the next few days at the ASPETAR hospital in Doha.
“It will take 3 to 4 months before he can return to training with the team.”
The Brazil international is aware of how his injuries have hurt the club in the past and has vowed to come back stronger from the current one.
The 31-year-old took to Instagram to address the news from the club to his fans as he posted: “I’ll come back stronger.”
Neymar will officially end his season with 18 goals and 17 assists from 29 appearances this season, which is more than a healthy return in attack.
His goals also took him to 118 goals in total for the club, placing him as the fourth highest goalscorer in its history.
Neymar could also possibly be on his way out of the club this summer following chatter from sources around the club.
They are working to renew Messi’s contract but there is talk about letting Neymar go thanks to his injuries and other factors which they are reportedly unhappy with.
With this latest setback, it remains to be seen if they will enter into negotiations with interested clubs, particularly Chelsea, whose offer is stated to be the highest for the former Barcelona man.
Martin Graham is an MFF sports writer
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