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Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar will miss the next two games due to an ankle injury, coach Christophe Galtier has said.
This effectively ruled him out of their Ligue 1 clash with Nantes last night and the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.
The Brazil international was carried off the pitch on a stretcher during PSG’s 4-3 win over Lille on February 19 with what was later confirmed to be an ankle ligament injury.
Galtier added that he plans to fill Neymar’s place with a midfielder instead of another attacker, as he did in last week’s 3-0 win over rivals Olympique de Marseille, where Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe led the team to a second league win in a row.
“Not having him (Neymar) is a big loss, but, maybe, we can add another midfielder to balance the team,” Galtier said.
“The work of my two attackers (Messi and Mbappe) and my three midfielders has been remarkable in Marseille. Without Neymar, we will be with three midfielders and two attackers.
“To tell you that Ney’s absence is trivial, no. He is one of the best passers in Ligue 1, and it’s still a detrimental absence for us.”
The reigning Ligue 1 champions, who will also be without defender Achraf Hakimi, look to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the Champions League away at Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
“Our squad is weakened by suspensions and injuries. We have to work our way through the league,” the French manager said.
“I hope the players don’t have the game against Bayern on Wednesday in the back of their minds too much.”— Reuters
Online Reporter