Neymar stretchered off in tears, Champions League appearance in doubt

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr. simply can't escape injury when it comes to some of the biggest games in his career. Now, he is a major doubt for PSG's second-leg clash against Bayern Munich in the last-16 of the UEFA Champions League.

The Ligue 1 giants need all their firepower available when they travel to Munich on March 8 to try to turn around a 1-0 deficit. However, Neymar may miss the crucial tie thanks to an ankle injury that he sustained against Lille on Sunday.

He was able to score a goal in the 17th minute before being stretchered off at the start of the second half after twisting his ankle. He could not get on his feet and was seen in tears as he was being carried away.

PSG have not yet confirmed the extent of his ankle injury this time, but leaving on a stretcher is rarely a good sign. Luckily, Kylian Mbappe scored a brace and Lionel Messi scored a late winner to get PSG past Lille 4-3. However, they would still be hoping to have Neymar back in full fitness before the trip to Germany.

It is a well known fact that PSG are desperate to win their first ever Champions League trophy, and despite looking strong for the past few seasons, they always hit a wall in the knockout stages. This year, six-time champions Bayern Munich will be looking to inflict that heartbreak once more.

Neymar has been trying hard to free himself from an injury curse that has struck him across various competitions. Late in 2022, he missed out on most of Brazil's FIFA World Cup campaign after suffering another ankle injury.

In 2014, he also had a heartbreaking injury to his back in the quarterfinals when Brazil hosted the World Cup. In Russia 2018, Neymar had to deal with a foot injury. He also missed the 2019 Copa America due to an injury on his right ankle.

Recently, teammate Kylian Mbappe spoke about how he and his teammates need to take care of their bodies if they want to win the Champions League. Mbappe mentioned proper training and diet just days before Neymar was seen enjoying McDonald's with his friends, attracting a fresh bout of criticism.

Recently, he was also criticised by his neighbours for hosting epic parties at his residence in the outskirts of Paris. However, he has always maintained that his lifestyle does not get in the way of his professional obligations.