Reports: Neymar could be sidelined until 2021

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar

PSG superstar Neymar faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines that may see him miss the remainder of 2020.

The player is set to miss PSG's next game against Angers after he picked up a knock against Stade Reims in their previous league encounter.

However, the 28-year-old could potentially miss the rest of the year through a 10-match-ban if the French football governing body (LFP) finds him guilty of racially abusing Marseille's Hiroki Sakai and throwing homophobic abuse at Alvaro Gonzales.

The incident was part of the ugly brawl between PSG players and Marseille players in a Ligue 1 encounter in Matchday 2 of the season that saw a total of five players being sent off.

Neymar had initially alleged that Alvaro Gonzales had racially abused him but Marseille retorted by claiming that they possess video footage that proves it was the Brazilian superstar who had indulged in racial abuse.

Neymar kicks off the 2020-21 season on an inauspicious note

So far, Neymar has already missed three out of PSG's first five Ligue 1 fixtures and stands to miss its next one against Angers as well.

He had initially contracted Covid-19, which saw him sit out their opening fixture. He then returned for PSG's second match against Marseille and was sent off for having been part of the brawl that ensued.

The red card carried with it a further two-match ban and he returned the previous weekend against Stade Reims, only to pick up a slight calf strain and be ruled out for PSG's game against Angers.

Should the LFP convict Neymar of racial and/or homophobic abuse, the Brazilian star stands to miss the remainder of PSG's league games in 2020.

However, he will still be allowed to participate in PSG's Champions League matches as the LFP's jurisdiction doesn't extend to the UEFA competition.

PSG made it to the finals of the Champions League last season only to lose 1-0 to eventual winners Bayern Munich.

However, they did manage to maintain their dominance in Ligue 1, winning the domestic title for the third time in a row and a whooping seven times out of a possible 8.

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Edited by Akhilesh Tirumala
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