PSG sweat over Neymar injury as Real loom

Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery remains optimistic that superstarNeymar will be fit to face Real Madrid in their do-or-die ChampionsLeague clash on March 6 despite suffering an ankle injury in Sunday’s3-0 victory over Marseille.Neymar, the world’s most expensive footballer, was stretchered off 10minutes from time at the Parc des Princes as PSG opened up a 14-pointlead 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 twistto the ankle. Now we will do a medical examination to find out what thistwist is,” said Emery, whose team face Real at home on March 6 in theChampions 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 tosay today (whether or not he will face Real) I would rather say yes tobeing optimistic.”PSG skipper Thiago Silva told Canal+: “Neymar already had a swollenankle. I’m not a doctor, but I don’t think he’ll be available onWednesday (when PSG face Marseille again in the French Cup). He has torest.” It was an otherwise easy night for the big-spending Parisians asteenager 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 athome to local rivals Saint-Etienne earlier on Sunday, it meant none ofPSG’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 ofbringing off Mbappe, 19, after an hour to give Argentine internationalAngel 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 10minutes to Mbappe, cutting in from the right. Former Aston Villafull-back Jordan Amavi was in place to intercept the ball but he slippedand succeeded only helping it onto teenage star Mbappe, who jinkedinside onto his left foot and dragged a low shot inside Yohann Pele’snear post. As expected, the hosts were dictating the tempo anddominating the ball, but Neymar was off target with a header from a DaniAlves cross. The second came before the half hour mark, though, andagain it owed much to poor Marseille defending. Layvin Kurzawa slippedRabiot into the inside left channel in the visitors’ box and he pickedout Brazilian Neymar with a cut-back. The forward’s poked finish was heading off target until his compatriotand Marseille centre-back Rolando thrust out a boot and inadvertentlydirected the ball into the goal. The match was as good as over and PSGhad barely needed to break sweat. Ten minutes before half time and the men in blue were already breakingout the showboating tricks and flicks, with Rabiot’s backheel setting upNeymar to curl a long-range strike just past the post.