Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier believes that the jammed schedule played a role in Neymar’s recent injury after the Brazilian striker sprained his ankle and left the field on a stretcher during the 4-3 victory against Lille in the French First Division on Sunday.
Neymar, who scored the second goal in the 17th minute, left the stadium crying early in the second half after a collision with Benjamin Andre, a Lille player, that resulted in a sprained ankle.
Saint-Germain said that Neymar does not suffer from a fracture and will continue to assess his condition within 48 hours, without revealing a possible length of his absence.
Galtier stressed: This is not bad luck, there are always reasons behind injuries, the schedule and the succession of matches, it is not a random matter, Neymar’s injury complicates matters, of course.
Neymar, 31, suffered an ankle injury at the World Cup in Qatar last year and missed two matches.
Leaders Saint-Germain will visit rivals Marseille, who are second by five points, early next week, then host Nantes before facing Bayern Munich away from home in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 when it seeks to compensate for its 1-0 first-leg loss.
Neymar was absent during two long periods due to fractures before facing Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 in 2019 and against Manchester United at the same stage the following year, and the French team bid farewell to the championship on both occasions.
