Neymar absence could be 'big problem' for PSG, warns Gianluigi Buffon

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Paris Saint-Germain keeper Gianluigi Buffon speaks to Becky Anderson about Neymar being out of PSG's clash with Manchester United and his PSG future.

Posted: Feb. 11, 2019 10:10 AM
Updated: Feb. 11, 2019 10:10 AM

Gianluigi Buffon fears the absence of Paris Saint-Germain's mercurial playmaker Neymar could prove a "big problem" when the French club takes on Manchester United in the Champions League Tuesday.

PSG will be without its star man, who sustained a metatarsal injury late last month, for both legs of the last-16 tie. The Brazilian international is expected to return in April.



"I think this is a problem for us," PSG goalkeeper Buffon told CNN in an exclusive interview ahead of Tuesday's first leg at Old Trafford.


"But I must say that without a player of Ney's caliber, it's going to be heavy going, particularly because in the last two or three months he's in excellent condition both physically and mentally and would have been of enormous help.


"This would be the best present we could give to him, and I'm sure he would return the favor by playing in those two matches."



Read: Is it time to sympathize with PSG's Neymar?

Read: Mbappe: The 'phenomenon that breathes and sleeps football'




The two enjoy a close relationship with Buffon keen to pass on his experiences to the prodigious young talent, even if Mbappe cheekily refers to him as "grandpa."

"It's only normal that Kylian, who is 20 and thinks of me as a father figure or even a grandpa, but I think that's nice," Buffon said.



"This is all part of the difficulties of life, and you understand how different people's opinions are, and by changing your point of view over time you see how things can be different. But I must say it's all part of the rich fabric of life.

"And when I joke about with Kylian we have a friendly rapport and it feels like we're the same age. The way I see it, we have to find common ground and I have to act in a younger way and he has to think along the lines of someone slightly older perhaps."

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While Mbappe may have several more opportunities to win the Champions League, Buffon's future is more uncertain.


"I don't know," Buffon, who signed a one-year deal and has an option for a further 12 months, said when asked about his future.

"The opportunity may well present itself, but nothing has been carved in stone. I think that a player like me and of my age shouldn't make long-term plans."

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