All clear at Mendes
Paris Saint-Germain has to do without superstar Neymar for the time being. As the French champions announced on Tuesday evening, further examinations of the Brazilian revealed a sprained ankle as well as ligament injuries. PSG did not provide any information on the downtime, a further investigation is scheduled for the beginning of next week.
The French newspaper “Le Parisien” had previously reported that PSG expected Neymar to be out for three to four weeks. The 31-year-old would “in all probability” miss the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 at German record champions FC Bayern on March 8, the newspaper wrote.
Neymar sustained the injury in Sunday’s turbulent 4-3 Ligue 1 win against LOSC Lille at Prinzenpark. Teammate Kylian Mbappé has already sent Neymar the best wishes for a recovery. “Stay strong. The team is waiting for you,” wrote the World Cup top scorer on Instagram.
Chelsea almost twice as valuable as BVB: Champions League round of 16 by squad values
Before the first leg, there was still a guesswork about the fitness of the ailing Mbappé. The striker eventually came on as a substitute in the second half but was unable to prevent the 1-0 defeat by Bayern. On the other hand, there was positive news about Nuno Mendes (20). The left-back, who injured his knee against Lille, will return to training this week.
Communiqué medical après #PSGLOSC@Aspetar
— Paris Saint Germain (@PSG_inside) February 21, 2023
PSG coach Galtier: “We stopped the spiral”
Despite fears for his star player and new irritations with the sporting director, coach Christophe Galtier was able to breathe a sigh of relief after beating Lille. “We stopped the spiral,” said the 56-year-old with relief. After three defeats in three different competitions, the 4:3 gives him some breathing room, he admitted.
Another defeat after losing in the round of 16 of the cup with a 1:2 against Olympique Marseille, 1:3 in the championship against AS Monaco and 0:1 in the “premier class” against FC Bayern would have put the situation at PSG further aggravated. In view of the criticism in the French media, Galtier emphasized that he himself tries not to read a lot or watch a lot. “I stay in my bubble so as not to waste too much energy.” But he also assured that he had the permanent support of the club’s sporting directorate and the president. “This is very important.”
However, the appearance of sports director Luís Campos, with whom Neymar had recently quarreled, caused renewed irritation against Lille. The Portuguese rushed to the sidelines in the second half and, as described by “Marca”, gave instructions to the players “as if out of their mind”. He didn’t interfere, Galtier tried to calm the situation, Campos just wanted to win.
However, the scenes did not cast a good light on Galtier, who was recently dubbed the “stricken coach”. According to the French media, the 56-year-old will have to fight for his job until the second leg of the Champions League in Munich. Zinédine Zidane, José Mourinho and ex-PSG coach Thomas Tuchel are already being traded as possible successors.
Tuchel, Enrique & Co.: These well-known trainers are on the market
To home page