Neymar Stretchered Off in Lyon Loss With Serious Ankle Injury

Paris Saint-Germain are said to be concerned about Brazilian forward Neymar, who was stretchered off late in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Lyon with an ankle injury.

Deep into injury time, Neymar was caught by a gruesome challenge from Lyon midfielder Thiago Mendes, who was shown a VAR-aided red card, and the winger was in clear agony as he was stretchered from the field.

ESPN note that club officials made the decision to wait until Monday before sending Neymar for tests to see how his ankle heals, but the club's medical staff have been left fearing that the Brazilian could be out for the foreseeable future.

Footage of the incident showed Neymar's ankle bending in an unnatural way, prompting concerns that the joint could be broken or at least dislocated.

However, Le Parisien claim that initial scans have alleviated fears somewhat. Neymar is not believed to have fractured his ankle, but still needs to undergo an MRI scan to determine the severity of the issue.

The tackle prompted a furious response from Neymar's father, who took to Instagram to condemn the 'excess violence' and question why the referee did not offer the 28-year-old more protection during the physical game.

PSG will likely do all they can to protect Neymar, who has struggled with injuries during his time in Paris. During his first two seasons, Neymar missed a total of six months because of two metatarsal injuries, while an ankle ligament injury in June 2019 also kept him out for nearly three months.

Manager Thomas Tuchel will be eager to see Neymar return. Sunday's defeat was PSG's first home loss to Lyon in 13 years and it saw them drop to third in Ligue 1, one point behind Lyon and leaders Lille.

Tuchel is already missing Mauro Icardi and Pablo Sarabia, and now it appears as though Neymar could be set for his own lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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