Neymar to Miss Barcelona Second Champions League Tie

 

Paris St-Germain have ruled Neymar out of the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona. 

The Brazil forward missed the first leg against his former side, which PSG won 4-1, with a thigh injury. 

Neymar returned to partial training with the squad last week and will continue to work back to fitness individually," said a PSG statement.

Barcelona will be without defenders Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo for the match in Paris on Wednesday.

Pique sustained a knee injury in the Copa del Rey semi-final win over Sevilla on 3 March, while Araujo has returned to training after an ankle problem but is not in the squad.

Ex-Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho is still missing for the Spanish side because of a knee injury.

Barcelona, who lost 8-2 to eventual winners Bayern Munich in last season's one-legged quarter-final, have made it past the last 16 of the Champions League in each of the past 13 seasons.

In 2016-17, they were beaten 4-0 by PSG in the last-16 first leg in Paris, before winning the second leg 6-1 in Spain.

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman remained optimistic his side could reach the quarter-finals and said: "It is always different to have a result like this.

"Losing 4-1 at home means we have to score goals away from home and it's more complicated but nothing is impossible.

"We believe in ourselves - we know we are Barca and have to win and will demonstrate this mentality."

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, who took Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2018-19, will also be without on-loan Everton striker Moise Kean as he is self-isolating because of coronavirus.

Neymar helped the French champions reach their first Champions League final last August and has scored 12 goals in 17 competitive fixtures this season.