Neymar looks like a sure bet to miss PSG's Champions League match against Real Madrid next week and much more due to his ankle injury, which also includes a fractured pinky toe. On Tuesday, his dad spoke to Globo and said he will miss the Real match and will be out about two months.
"In Neymar's case, it is already viewed as a surgical procedure because the recovery is faster," his dad said.
"We cannot wait. We are waiting for PSG to sort out the how and where. This is not a Neymar decision, I want to make that clear. People have a very wrong impression ... and say things they do not know. It's not his decision. He's not a doctor, I'm not a doctor either. We have to wait for the club's decision. PSG is waiting for the right moment, and waiting to get the doctor of the Brazilian national team (Rodrigo Lasmar) to make this decision together. Tomorrow (Wednesday) they will meet and decide. It is not Neymar who will decide. It's wrong for people make that kind of argument [that he can decide treatment on injury]. If people have nothing to talk about and can not hold their tongue in their mouths, then they have to think, have a little common sense -- respect. It's a difficult time for us. We did not want to be in this situation, but we have to accept it and try to have Neymar recover as best way possible"
"PSG already knows that they will not count on Neymar in the next games, that they will not count on him for six weeks at least. The treatment will last from 6-8 weeks, regardless if it is surgical or not. If it is conventional [treatment], it will also take 6-8 weeks. But we need to do what can to prevent a refracture or something that could re-aggravate Neymar in the future."
Tough blow for the player and for PSG. But obviously his future, both for PSG and the Brazilian national team, have to be the priority. It's the worst time for the injury, as the club needs him now more than ever to complete a comeback against Real Madrid, with the Spanish club leading the round of 16 clash 3-1 after the first leg.
For Brazilian fans, it is still a bit of a relief, considering it could have been worse and jeopardized his participation in this summer's World Cup. If this timetable is accurate and things go well, he should be back sometime in May ready to finish out the season with PSG and prepare for the pursuit of Brazil's sixth title.
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