Neymar cries as he leaves the pitch on a stretcher

In the 48th minute, Neymar was fouled by midfielder Benjamin Andre from behind, causing his ankle to be bent backwards. The 31-year-old star cried out in pain and teammates around him urgently called for medical staff to enter the field. After about three minutes of treatment, Neymar left the field on a stretcher with tears in his eyes. At that time, PSG led Lille 2-1 and he scored one goal.

After the match, PSG announced that Neymar did not have a broken bone, when he underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the doctor diagnosed the Brazilian star with a sprained right ankle. On February 20, Neymar will be examined more closely the extent of the sprain, to determine how long he will be out of action.

According to Fittoplay, a typical sprain causes a player to miss training for one to three weeks. If the level is more severe, they will not be able to play for six to 12 weeks.

Neymar's injury worries PSG because they are only 17 days away from the second leg of the 1/8 Champions League round with Bayern, or more than two weeks. Even with a minor injury, Neymar left open the possibility of playing at the Allianz Arena.

PSG has almost no other successful attackers besides Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. They often have to use U21 players like Hugo Ekitike, even U17s like Warren Zaire-Emery, if a star is absent. Coach Christophe Galtier will suffer a great loss if Neymar does not recover in time.

Despite the pain, Neymar still commented on Instagram congratulating Messi when the Argentine superstar scored the decisive goal to help PSG beat Lille 4-3. In the post-match interview, Mbappe wished Neymar a speedy recovery from his injury.

PSG are also at risk of losing left-back Nuno Mendes in the coming games, as he stretches a ligament in his right knee. The Portuguese defender had to leave the field in the 31st minute to make way for Juan Bernat. Both Neymar and Mendes will be tested more closely over the next 48 hours.