Neymar will miss his second straight game for Paris Saint-Germain after being ruled out of today’s match at home to Toulouse because of a groin problem, the club announced. The Brazilian has been receiving treatment and training individually this week. He sat out Wednesday’s 3-1 victory in Montpellier, in which Kylian Mbappe picked up a thigh injury.Mbappe faces three weeks on the sidelines and will be unavailable for the first leg of PSG’s Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich on February 14. Neymar is expected to resume full training next week, as is Sergio Ramos who also came off against Montpellier after suffering a groin strain."The absence of Neymar and Kylian is obviously a pity because the three players up front had been connecting well,” said PSG coach Christophe Galtier. "It will be up to those who play alongside Leo (Lionel Messi) to seize the opportunity.”PSG lead the standings with 51 points from 21 games, five ahead of second-placed Olympique de Marseille.‘He’ll play’: Nagelsmann calls out PSG mind games over MbappeBayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday he thinks Kylian Mbappe will play for Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League tie, accusing the French club of "playing poker”. PSG announced on Thursday that the star forward would miss "up to three weeks” with a thigh injury, ruling him out of the February 14 clash in the French capital."I don’t think he’ll be out,” Nagelsmann said, claiming the Ligue 1 champions had given a speculative diagnosis of the star’s condition. "I don’t know what he’s got, (but) I assume he’s playing. What it says on the website is vague. If it’s not a structural injury, I can’t imagine him missing the game, but I don’t know. I am preparing for the game as if he is going to play.”Alongside Mbappe, both Neymar and Sergio Ramos are currently under fitness clouds for the French side, but both should be fit in time for the clash with Bayern.Nagelsmann’s side have injury concerns of their own, with the long-term absences of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, wing-back Noussair Mazraoui and defender Lucas Hernandez. Forward Sadio Mane has been out since November but has returned to training, although he won’t feature at the Parc des Princes.With six wins from six matches Bayern are unbeaten in the Champions League this season, but have drawn their past three league matches ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Wolfsburg.Bayern currently sit in first place in the Bundesliga, but are just one point clear of Union Berlin. A further three teams – RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg – are within one win of the 31-time Bundesliga winners.
February 03, 2023 | 10:30 PM