Neymar ruled out of PSG's Champions League clash with Barcelona
By Ross Jackson
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has been ruled out of his side's Champions League clash against former employers Barcelona.
The Brazilian forward was forced off after an hour of the French Cup clash with Caen on Wednesday evening, throwing doubt over his inclusion in the squad for their last 16 game against Barça.
The 29-year-old went down with a left adductor problem which forced his withdrawal from the contest, heading straight down the tunnel as he was replaced by Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.
And it has now been confirmed that he will not be fit in time to face Barcelona in PSG's Champions League tie against the La Liga behemoths on Tuesday.
Having undergone further tests at a Parisian hospital on Thursday, the club confirmed via their official website that Neymar would be ruled out for roughly four weeks.
The news will come as a bitter blow for both Neymar and Mauricio Pochettino. The PSG forward has been in fine form this campaign, notching 13 goals in 17 appearances for the club in all competitions.
While the news of him omission from the first leg against Barcelona is clear, there may yet be doubt cast over his participation in the second leg on March 10.
Evidently the time frame set on his current return is only an estimate, meaning he may yet be forced to sit out the entire tie against his former club.
Should the 29-year-old return in four weeks time, he will be back in time to face Barcelona for the return leg, however, he'll miss four Ligue 1 outings including clashes with Monaco and Bordeaux.
Pochettino's side have struggled for form in this season's title race - a plight which ultimately brought about the end of Thomas Tuchel's reign at the club - and they currently sit three points behind leaders Lille.