Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 10y

Thiago Silva suffers thigh injury

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva could miss his side's Champions League opener next month after suffering a thigh injury in Monday's friendly win over Napoli.

- Johnson: Mixed feeling after Napoli win

Silva, 29, will undergo further medical examination and an MRI scan in Paris on Tuesday after pulling up with what appeared to be a right hamstring injury just 13 minutes into the French champions' 2-1 win at the Stadio San Paolo. The game was arranged as part of the deal that took Edinson Cavani from Naples to PSG last summer.

Depending on the seriousness of the injury, Silva is expected to be out for between one and two months, which would mean he is likely to miss his club's opening Champions League group-stage fixture on September 16-17.

"For the moment, we know that he has had a muscle problem. That's clear," PSG coach Laurent Blanc told beIN SPORTS. "As for the seriousness of the injury, he'll have to undergo tests in Paris. I think there's a muscle strain. It's the black point of the evening.

"We tried to calculate the playing time of those who had played against Reims. It was planned that he came off at half-time. Unfortunately, after 10 minutes, there was a muscle problem. That happens. He's going to have to recover, because we'll need him."

Contrary to expectation, Silva led the team out for their opening Ligue 1 fixture of the new season at Reims last Friday, and -- according to Le Parisien -- felt a problem in his right thigh during the 2-2 draw.

Blanc, however, defended his decision to include the Brazil international just six days after his return to France from his post-World Cup break.

"I say it again: Thiago Silva started training again on July 25, well before he came back to Paris," the former Bordeaux and France coach, who last week stated a PSG fitness coach had been sent to Brazil to work with the centre-back, said.

"Last year, he played again very quickly with the Trophee des Champions. Everything went very well, and you didn't ask me any questions."

Since his arrival at the Parc des Princes in 2012, Silva has twice suffered thigh injuries, including one in September last season that led to him missing six league games.

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