PSG confirm Neymar's injury status

Brazilian superstar Neymar has a twisted right ankle and a hairline fracture on the fifth metatarsal bone, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed on Tuesday through an official statement about the world's most expensive player.

Although an estimated return was not confirmed by the club, doctors believe a metatarsal fracture usually takes around six weeks to completely heal from. This will come as a huge blow to the French giants as they will now have to overturn the 1-3 reverse to Real Madrid in the Champions League without the mercurial forward.

The ex-Barcelona and Santos man, who became the most expensive player in the world (222 million Euros) following an unexpected switch to the French capital side in the summer transfer window last year, landed awkwardly following a clash with Marseille forward Bouna Sarr in their Ligue 1 encounter on Sunday, and sustained injuries in the process. He was seen in tears as he was being stretchered off the pitch.

Marseille seemed to target PSG's star man throughout the encounter, fouling him on eight occasions, although he did provide Edinson Cavani with an assist for PSG's third goal.

Scoring a total of 26 goals and laying off another 16 for his teammates, Neymar was having just the kind of stellar season many would have expected for him to challenge for the Ballon d'Or, France football's annual award for the best footballer in a year.

However, that kind of form alluded him in the most anticipated game of the Round of 16-first leg, in the Champions League against the reigning European Champions, as Paris, despite taking the lead, succumbed to a 3-1 drubbing.

PSG will also have to cope without Neymar in the Coup de France quarter-final clash against Marseille on the 1st of March

-- ANI