Neymar Da Silva Jr, the world’s most expensive player, was pictured outside for the first time since going under the knife for fracturing his metatarsals in a Ligue 1 game against Marseille. The player who was dubbed as the Messiah to slowly guide Paris Saint-Germain to its first Champions League glory will be MIA on the day his side will require his service the most.
On Tuesday, the Parc des Princes outfit will be fighting tooth and neck to overturn a two-goal deficit when they come up against Real Madrid in the second leg of their UCL Round of 16 tie. Having vowed to make amends for a lethargic showing in the first game at the Santiago Bernabeu, it is a saddening scenario to see that circumstances wouldn’t allow the 26-year-old Brazilian to do just that.
Although football’s unpredictability still exists, many have already tipped Los Blancos to sail past the handicapped PSG side. For Neymar, the reality is that he will not have the opportunity to help his side regardless the outcome as his recuperation period is expected to last for at least two months. Prior to the mishap, the former Barcelona man was on a steady path to put in a fight for the next Ballon d'Or award.
The silky forward has undoubtedly owned the Ligue 1 since joining and has subsequently contributed significantly to PSG’s performances in Europe before their encounter with Real Madrid. With 28 goals and 16 assists in 30 games, he is definitely up there.
However, while he is cursing his stars for the lengthy lay-off, the usual suspects for France Football magazine gong – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – will not be resting on their laurels. The latter has already scored 32 goals In 41 games whereas his Portuguese nemesis has 30 goals in 32 games to his name.
In reality, Neymar’s exploits for PSG this season may be virtually over. As a result, his prime objective now will be to get in shape for the summer’s World Cup in Russia. The next intent will be to fire the Seleção to their sixth FIFA World Cup trophy. Should he achieve that with his Samba Boys after being sidelined for a lengthy period, some big questions will certainly be asked concerning whom the world’s best player crown should fit.
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