Neymar Will Undergo Surgery After Suffering Foot Injury vs. Marseille

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Neymar is to undergo surgery in Brazil on the foot injury he suffered during Sunday's Ligue 1 win over Marseille.

A statement on the club's official website said:

"After an initial treatment period of three days inline with a strict medical protocol, a joint decision has been taken between the medical staffs of both Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team.

"In accordance with the player, it has been decided that Neymar Jr will undergo surgery in Brazil at the end of this week. He will be operated on by Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar, accompanied by Professor Saillant, representing PSG."

The surgery means that Neymar will miss PSG's UEFA Champions League second leg against Real Madrid at Parc des Princes on Tuesday. The French side go into the game 3-1 down from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

This is PSG's biggest game of the season, and they will now have to make do without their star man.

PSG have not announced how long Neymar will be out for, but his father has already said he expects the Brazilian to miss six to eight weeks with the injury, per ESPN FC's Jonathan Johnson:

The latest announcement also contradicts coach Unai Emery, who initially said that reports Neymar would require surgery were "totally false," per El Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Espana).

Goal showed how Neymar picked up the injury:

Neymar also took to social media to show how his foot looked after the game:

The news will be a big blow to PSG, as Neymar has endured a superb first campaign with the French league leaders. He has 20 goals and 14 assists (in Ligue 1 play) already to help his side top the table.

However, it is the UEFA Champions League that is PSG's ultimate ambition and is one of the main reasons they invested so heavily to bring Neymar to the club.

The Brazilian could not find his best form against Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie. However, the match is far from over, particularly with Madrid in the midst of a disappointing season. Zinedine Zidane's side have lost five times in La Liga already, the latest defeat coming against Espanyol on Tuesday.

European football writer Andy Brassell said PSG can still go through:

Neymar's focus will now be on recovering from injury and finding his best form and match fitness ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The 26-year-old carries Brazil's hopes on his shoulders, and the team will be eyeing glory after a brilliant qualifying campaign.

The World Cup is also a chance for Neymar to shine on the global stage as he bids to win the Ballon d'Or. If the initial estimate of six to eight weeks proves correct, then Neymar should be back before the end of the season. However, there's no doubting that Neymar's fitness will now be of huge focus in the build-up to the tournament.