THE curse of Neymar’s sisters birthday has struck again… after he hobbled off injured in the French Cup.
The 29-year-old was involved in a hefty collision on the hour mark in Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Caen and was replaced by Kylian Mbappe.
Neymar hobbled off injured in PSG’s win over CaenCredit: EPA
Boss Mauricio Pochettino will be sweating on the fitness of his star man with a crunch Champions League clash with Barcelona on Tuesday.
But fans on social media believe his injury may have something to do with his sister’s birthday on March 11.
Coincidentally, the Brazilian superstar almost always appears to pick up a knock just before sister Rafaella Santos celebrates her big day.
The ‘curse’ started in 2015 while playing for Barcelona.
He was suspended after picking up too many yellow cards and Barca allowed him to attend her birthday.
It was the same the following year when suspension allowed him to celebrate at her Disney-themed party.
Fast forward to 2017 and a muscular injury again ruled him out of a clash with Deportivo – the day after her birthday.
And the trend continued into 2018 and 2019 when injuries ruled him out of matches although he was still fit enough to party.
Neymar has a history of missing matches around his sister’s birthday
Neymar certainly does not like to miss Rafaella’s birthday bash
It is no secret that Neymar is close to his sister
The Brazilian even has a tattoo of her on his arm
After watching him limp off the field on Wednesday night, fans believe he is up to his old tricks.
One said: “Ahh the annual Neymar injury that always happens before his sister’s birthday.”
Another added: “I hope the festivals in Brazil and his sister’s birthday are worth it, speedy recovery for sure.”
A third joked: “There are 3 things certain in life. Death, taxes and Neymar being injured on his sister’s birthday.”
If the 29-year-old does head back to his native country, he will need to quarantine for two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Neymar’s coincidentally timed injuries are so renowned that Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos even made a joke of the situation.
He once said: “I like to play with the best and Neymar is one of them.
“What we would have to negotiate is his sister’s birthday.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
