2024-03-01 01:32:52
Text: Alex Varela
The news is not news: Neymar has been injured again. Everything seems to indicate that the skilled legs of the Brazilian star transform into two pieces of glass when this time of year arrives. Sports media from around the world have noted that this is the fourth consecutive time that Paris Saint-Germain’s number 10 has suspiciously fallen into dry dock around this time, close to his sister’s birthday and the Rio de Janeiro carnival. .
Conspiracy theorists are never lacking, not even in sport, but the case of the former Barcelona player is already worrying more than one fan of the Parisian club, who must deal with the absence of their superstar in the face of the important matches that always take place. They take place at this time of the season.
The first injury in the PSG ranks dates back to 2018, six months after his controversial signing from the Catalan team. Neymar suffered a sprain in the external anterior ligament of his right ankle associated with a fissure of the fifth metatarsal that forced him to be off the field from February 26 to May 27.
Almost a year later, on January 24, 2019, he experienced a serious metatarsal fracture and had to recover for 85 days until he was able to return on April 19. In 2020 the damage was no longer in the legs but in the ribs, when he received a strong blow in that area that left him out for four games played this month.
Now, in 2021, he will miss four weeks after a tough tackle he suffered in the French Cup match against Caen this Wednesday. The post-match medical tests revealed a problem in the left adductor magnus that will cause him to watch from the stands – or on television from Brazil – the Champions League round of 16 clash against Barcelona next Tuesday.
In total, this will be the third time in four seasons with the French capital club that he will miss a decisive Champions League match. In 2017-2018 he missed the second leg of the round of 16 against Real Madrid, which ended in PSG’s elimination. A year later, he was absent in the two matches of the same phase against Manchester United, which also caused the premature goodbye of his team from the prestigious competition.
When the years go by and the Brazilian ends his relationship with PSG, there is no doubt that injuries will form an important chapter in his history at the club. Since his debut on August 13, 2017 to date, Neymar has only played 103 of the 191 games in all competitions for 53.9 percent, according to data revealed by the ESPN portal.
Of these hardships, perhaps the famous Instagramer Rafaella is the only person who sees the glass half full, since it is very likely that her older brother will celebrate his birthday with her again on March 11, although this year both will miss the popular celebrations of the Rio carnival, frustrated by the Covid-19 pandemic.