Recovering Neymar ruled out of Cup game against Lille

Neymar is yet to recover an adductor muscle injury and will miss Paris Saint-Germain's French Cup clash against Lille.

Published : Mar 16, 2021 20:53 IST , PARIS

Paris Saint-Germain will once again be without Neymar when it faces Lille in the French Cup last 16 on Wednesday but manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes to have Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos available after their homes were robbed last weekend.

Brazilian forward Neymar has not yet fully recovered from an adductor muscle injury he picked up in the previous round against Caen on February 10.

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The French champion initially said he would be out for action for "up to four weeks" but Pochettino said on Tuesday he hopes to have the 29-year-old back for Sunday's Ligue 1 game away to Olympique Lyonnais.

"The target for Neymar is to be back with the squad as soon as possible," Pochettino told reporters. "The aim for him is to improve every day.

"The target was to be available for (Champions League last-16 second leg against) Barcelona but it didn't work out.

"We will see if he is available for Lyon. That would be great," he added.

French sports daily L'Equipe reported on Monday that Di Maria and Marquinhos were robbed during Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Nantes, with members of their families being held hostage during the events.

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The newspaper said Di Maria was taken off the field in the 62nd minute by Pochettino following a brief discussion with PSG sports director Leonardo.

In a statement obtained from PSG by Reuters , Marquinhos said his parents' home had been robbed during the match while his family was on the premises.

"Angel is fine, Marqui is fine too," Pochettino said. "But above all the families are doing well, given the stress that these situations cause."

PSG will also be without Pablo Sarabia for the clash against the Ligue 1 leader at the Parc des Princes as the midfielder has a hip problem.

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