The Brazilian could be out for up to eight weeks with an ankle injury, but it could be a positive for both the player and his club.

Neymar’s nightmare season took another malevolent twist on Sunday as the Paris Saint-Germain forward suffered an ankle injury amid the snow flurries in Saint-Etienne.

There were only a couple of minutes of the Ligue 1 encounter remaining when the Brazil star was inadvertently caught by Yvann Macon as the France Under-21 international desperately tried to regain possession as his side chased a 2-1 deficit.

In trying to evade the sliding challenge, Neymar stepped on the defender’s leg and his ankle gave way below him in a sickening manner.

What is another significant blow to Neymar, though, represents something of a liberation for PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

This front three has left the team unbalanced, while Neymar has retained his spot despite some entirely indifferent form.

In 14 games for PSG this season, he has contributed only three goals, one of which was a penalty, while the other two came against a Bordeaux side battling relegation.

This has not been the 'real' Neymar and yet he has kept his place in the starting XI by strength of reputation alone.

His woeful performance against Manchester City in last week's Champions League loss at the Etihad, during which he looked sluggish and clumsy, typifies the type of campaign he has endured.

The team as a whole, meanwhile, has similarly looked stilted and lacking in fluidity. It has leaned upon individuals to step up at key moments, which they have inevitably managed to do in Ligue 1.

This has allowed them to amass an enormous 12-point advantage over the chasing pack, which serves only to disguise how fine the margins have been in virtually every one of their victories so far this season.

In turn, this has put pressure on Pochettino, who could yet be allowed to join Manchester United next summer.