Neymar could face up to three months on the sidelines after the Paris Saint-Germain forward undergoes surgery on his broken foot, Brazil's national team doctor has confirmed.
Despite head coach Unai Emery initially appearing resistant to the idea, with an eye on next week's Champions League showdown against Real Madrid, the Ligue 1 leaders confirmed on Wednesday that Neymar would need an operation after fracturing the fifth metatarsal of his right foot during last weekend's 3-0 win over Marseille.
The operation will take place on Saturday and Dr Rodrigo Lasmar from Brazil's national team set-up delivered worrying news for the Selecao ahead of the World Cup in Russia.
"It was a small fissure, a major fracture of a bone in the middle of the foot, and the operation will be on Saturday morning in Belo Horizonte," Dr Lasmar said, as quoted by Globo TV.
"We do not have the right time, but it will certainly be that day. It's two and a half months, three months of recovery. After surgery we will have more details about this time.
"He is sad, upset, but understands that he has no alternative but to recover as soon as possible."
Brazil begin their Russia 2018 campaign against Switzerland in Group E on June 17, a date that will now loom large for the world's most expensive player.
PSG close their Ligue 1 schedule at Caen on May 19 and, if they are able to overcome a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Madrid and chart a route through the rest of the competition, the Champions League final in Kiev is on May 26.
Those dates are possibilities for Neymar if his recovery runs to the more agreeable scenario of a two-and-a-half month absence mentioned by Dr Lasmar, although Brazil's pre-World Cup friendlies might represent a more realistic target for the player, head coach Tite and an ever-expectant nation.
