Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar will miss the next two games because of an ankle injury, coach Christophe Galtier said Friday, ruling him out of the Ligue 1 match against Nantes and the second Champions League match against Bayern.
The Brazilian was carried off the field on a stretcher during PSG’s match against Lille (4-3) on February 19 with an ankle ligament injury, which was later confirmed.
Galtier added that he plans to replace Neymar as a midfielder rather than a striker, as he did last week in the 3-0 victory over rivals Olympique de Marseille, where Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe led the team to a second straight league victory.
His (Neymar’s) absence is a big loss, but maybe we can add another midfielder to balance the team, Galtier said at a press conference Friday.
The work of my two strikers (Messi and Mbappe) and my three midfielders was great in Marseille. Without Ney, we will play with three midfielders and two strikers.
To say that Ney’s absence is a small thing, no. You have to be one of the best passers in Ligue 1, and it’s still a detrimental absence for us.
The reigning Ligue 1 champions, who will also be without defender Achraf Hakimi, hope to bounce back from a 1-0 loss in the Champions League on Wednesday against Bayern, but the priority for Galtier is Saturday’s match against Nantes.
Our squad is weakened by suspensions and injuries, we have to make our way in the league, the French manager said.
I hope the players will not think about the game against Bayern on Wednesday. It’s important to get a third win in a row.
