Neymar’s new serious injury reignites debates on the supposed fragility of the Brazilian star. To the point of jeopardizing his career? The events which affected Paul Pogba, on another scale, illustrate the setbacks of this generation.
Last week, Eden Hazard ended his career at the age of 32. Considered one of the greatest talents in his age group, the Belgian attacking midfielder no longer felt the motivation necessary to carry out his life as a top footballer. Hazard is not the only star of this generation to maintain a gap between his gift for football and his achievements. Two thirty-year-old stars perhaps embody this disenchanted generation even more: Neymar and Paul Pogba.
One became the top scorer in the history of the Brazilian team ahead of King Pelé. The other established himself as the charismatic leader of the France team in the conquest of a second star. Early, publicized, marketing icons called to succeed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Paul Pogba were washed out by the system and the sequence of matches. To the point of collecting disappointments.
Neymar vs Pogba: the number of days of absence since 2017 is scary
If it is not a question of comparing the situations of the two stars, a simple analogy on the history of their injuries is enough to sound the alarm bells. Hit in the knee with the Seleçao this week, Neymar could still return to the infirmary for a long time. Since his transfer to PSG in 2017, the Brazilian striker has accumulated 776 days of absence due to physical problems. The previous 3 years on European soil, during his time at FC Barcelona, Ney had only accumulated 133 days of absence between 2014 and 2017.
For Paul Pogba, whose career is currently halted due to a positive test for testosterone, the figures are even more significant. The 2018 world champion missed 1,027 days over this same period, since the 2016-17 campaign including his stints at Manchester United and Juventus. The French midfielder had only been out for 56 days due to injuries during his first years as a professional before this season.
