Neymar expected to miss four weeks following injury with Brazil

Neymar will be out of action for four weeks after Paris Saint-Germain doctors revealed the Brazilian forward suffered a ligament sprain in his ankle earlier this week. 

The injury occurred during the first-half of Brazil’s 2-0 friendly victory over Qatar on Wednesday, with initial fears suggesting the 27-year-old was set for a long lay-off. 

However, via a statement released from PSG on Saturday, it has been confirmed that Neymar will miss just four weeks of action and should be fully fit for the start of the Ligue 1 season.  

Paris Saint-Germain’s first team doctor, Dr Laurent Aumont, and the club’s Medical Board member and leading figure in sport medicine, Professor Gerard Saillant, assessed the injury and diagnosed a sprain of the lateral ligament of the right ankle. 

The injury does not require surgery, with club officials confirming it will be dealt with via “conservative treatment”. 

The former Barcelona forward took to Instagram in the wake of Wednesday’s incident, and captioned a picture of his injury with the word: “After the storm comes the calm.” 

Earlier he had exited the Estadio Nacional pitch in a visibly upset state, and was later spotted leaving the stadium on crutches. 

Officials from the Brazil national team moved quickly following the injury and confirmed the ex-Santos man would play no part in this summer's Copa America, which takes place in his home country between June 14th – July 7th. 

“After suffering a sprain in his right ankle during last Wednesday's game against Qatar, Neymar was evaluated and subjected to complementary imaging tests that confirmed ligament rupture in the ankle,” a statement read. 

“Due to the seriousness of the injury, Neymar will not have the physical conditions and sufficient recovery time to participate in the Copa America Brasil 2019.” 

While today’s diagnosis suggests Neymar might have stood an outside chance of being fit for the Copa America final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro if Brazil make it that far, he will now be given the chance to recover without the need of surgery. 

Neymar is currently just three caps short of 100 appearances for his country, but will have to wait to reach that particular landmark.