Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery remains optimistic that superstar
Neymar will be fit to face Real Madrid in their do-or-die Champions
League clash on March 6 despite suffering an ankle injury in Sunday’s
3-0 victory over Marseille.
Neymar, the world’s most expensive footballer, was stretchered off 10
minutes from time at the Parc des Princes as PSG opened up a 14-point
lead in Ligue 1.
The 26-year-old was on his own when he innocuously rolled his ankle and flopped to the ground in pain.
“The first examination in the locker room revealed that it was a twist
to the ankle. Now we will do a medical examination to find out what this
twist is,” said Emery, whose team face Real at home on March 6 in the
Champions League last 16 where they need to overturn a 3-1 deficit.
“We will wait for the examination, we will be optimistic. If I had to
say today (whether or not he will face Real) I would rather say yes to
being optimistic.”
PSG skipper Thiago Silva told Canal+: “Neymar already had a swollen
ankle. I’m not a doctor, but I don’t think he’ll be available on
Wednesday (when PSG face Marseille again in the French Cup). He has to
rest.”
It was an otherwise easy night for the big-spending Parisians as
teenager Kylian Mbappe became the youngest scorer in the French
‘Classique’.
Uruguayan goal-machine Edinson Cavani was also on the scoresheet while Neymar had a hand in PSG’s other goal.
With Monaco drawing 3-3 at Toulouse on Saturday and Lyon held 1-1 at
home to local rivals Saint-Etienne earlier on Sunday, it meant none of
PSG’s three nearest challengers managed to win.
Monaco remain second with Marseille third, two points behind, and Lyon a further five adrift.
This result was never in doubt and Emery even had the luxury of
bringing off Mbappe, 19, after an hour to give Argentine international
Angel Di Maria a half-hour run out.
PSG were off to a flying start through Mbappe but Marseille were in part the architects of their own downfall.
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot tried to thread a through ball on 10
minutes to Mbappe, cutting in from the right. Former Aston Villa
full-back Jordan Amavi was in place to intercept the ball but he slipped
and succeeded only helping it onto teenage star Mbappe, who jinked
inside onto his left foot and dragged a low shot inside Yohann Pele’s
near post. As expected, the hosts were dictating the tempo and
dominating the ball, but Neymar was off target with a header from a Dani
Alves cross. The second came before the half hour mark, though, and
again it owed much to poor Marseille defending. Layvin Kurzawa slipped
Rabiot into the inside left channel in the visitors’ box and he picked
out Brazilian Neymar with a cut-back.
The forward’s poked finish was heading off target until his compatriot
and Marseille centre-back Rolando thrust out a boot and inadvertently
directed the ball into the goal. The match was as good as over and PSG
had barely needed to break sweat.
Ten minutes before half time and the men in blue were already breaking
out the showboating tricks and flicks, with Rabiot’s backheel setting up
Neymar to curl a long-range strike just past the post.
Neymar grimaces in pain as he receives treatment on the field on Sunday night.