Neymar Stretchered Off with Ankle Injury After Awkward Fall vs. Marseille

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar left the pitch on a stretcher with an ankle injury during Le Classique against Marseille on Sunday.

According to Goal's Seth Vertelney, Les Parisiens were leading their rivals 3-0 when the Brazil international suffered the injury. PSG defender Thiago Silva said after the match Neymar's ankle started to swell immediately after he went down, via sports writer Jonathan Johnson.

Despite the injury, PSG manager Unai Emery told reporters (via Johnson) Neymar could be fit for the club's massive Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid. He added that the injury appears to be a sprain, but the former Barcelona man will undergo further tests.

"We are optimistic," Emery said.

Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani had already scored for PSG, while Rolando contributed an own goal before the Brazilian tripped during a battle with Bouna Sarr and contorted his ankle.

Neymar was in tears as he was carried off, a bad sign for the Ligue 1 giants. Their most pivotal match of the season, the return leg of the UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid, will be played on March 6.

The 26-year-old has been a smash hit in Paris since making the move from the Camp Nou this summer, with a remarkable 19 goals and 12 assists in 19 Ligue 1 matches already. He's a pivotal part of a talented three-pronged attack along with in-form Cavani and talented Mbappe.

PSG have plenty of depth, and the decision not to part with Julian Draxler in January could prove crucial.

Like Neymar, the Germany international plays his best football as a left winger, and if the Brazilian is out for the foreseeable future, Draxler will have a rematch with Marseille in the Coupe de France on Wednesday and Saturday's Ligue 1 contest at Troyes to work on his form ahead of the showdown with Real.