Brazil superstar Neymar is in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup and is expected to be sidelined for at least three months. The PSG star, who fractured a metatarsal and twisted an ankle late in the Ligue 1 side’s 3-0 win over Marseille last weekend, arrived back to his homeland on Thursday.
The world’s most expensive footballer will undergo surgery on Saturday, meaning he will miss PSG’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid on Tuesday and is now in doubt to make a return in time for the World Cup in Russia.
“It’s important to say that it was not a simple fissures the foot as it is being reported. It was a fracture of an important bone in the middle of the foot. It is important to make it very clear. The time to recover from this fracture is between two and a half up to three months,” Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar, Brazil National Team Chief Doctor, told assembled media after travelling with the 26-year-old to Rio de Janeiro.
He added: “To be honest, what worries us is to fully recover the player, his health comes first. May he recover well and be available to his club and to the national team as soon as possible, that’s our challenge. Of course, there are some goals that we have, some deadlines.
“We will endeavour our best to be in this deadline so he can arrive well at the final games of his league for PSG, if possible, and for the national team.”