Paris Saint-Germain will have to go into their crunch Champions League Round of 16 clash against Real Madrid without the services of Sergio Ramos, who will miss the first leg due to an ongoing calf problem.
While PSG have a number of former Real players in their ranks, including Achraf Hakimi and Keylor Navas, Ramos will not be one of those ex-Blancos in contention to take to the field. A calf issue saw Ramos miss most of the first half of PSG's season, and it continues to plague him, as reports begin to surface of a lack of chemistry with manager Mauricio Pochettino and a lack of trust in the club physios.
Here's everything we know about the injury.
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How long is Sergio Ramos out?
Ramos is recovering from a mild, grade one calf strain, which was announced by Pochettino towards the end of January. While he has returned to fitness work, he isn't yet ready to return to the team.
The club issued an update on Feb. 14, indicating that Ramos would continue to train apart from the club with another update to be provided in a week.
It's expected that the Spanish defender will return to full training, and he could be available for selection in time for the Champions League second leg on March 9 in Madrid's Estadio Bernabeu, where he was a club icon and captain. His participation in the series against his former team was one of the chief storylines of the Round of 16 meeting.
However, given the ongoing nature of his fitness problems, it makes sense that PSG will look to ease him into regular football, rather than rushing him back into the side.
Sergio Ramos injuries with PSG
Injuries and fitness concerns have become a real problem for Ramos in 2021, well before his signing with PSG last summer.
He underwent surgery for a torn meniscus at the start of 2021, and although coming back early from it, further muscle problems meant he was unable to contribute in the last few months of the 2020-21 season with Real Madrid. He ended up only playing 21 times during his final season in Madrid, and his lack of minutes following an injury-plagued season meant he failed to get into the Spain squad for Euro 2021 in June.
MORE: Complete Champions League Round of 16 schedule
A tendon problem over the summer was followed by a calf injury that ruled him out for the start of the season at his new club, PSG. Muscle problems continued to plague him over the holiday break and into the new year, before he picked up his latest calf strain.
While PSG are doing well in Ligue 1 with a comfortable, double-digit lead over second place, they'll hope to have Ramos available at some point for the knockout stages of the Champions League, that is if they continue to advance in the tournament.
The 35-year-old signed a two-year contract with PSG last July, reportedly pay him an approximate $11 million per season. The French club has not received its money's worth so far.
Sergio Ramos matches missed for PSG
Due to his various injury layoffs, Ramos has only been available for seven of the club's 34 matches so far this season. He has made five total appearances for a grand total of 283 minutes and he rode the bench for two other matches.
Without Ramos in the squad, PSG have won 19 of their games, drawn five, and lost three. PSG are undefeated in the five games that Ramos has played in, with four wins and one draw.
| Injury | Dates | Matches missed |
| Calf injury | Jul. 26 - Nov. 22 | 20 |
| Muscular problems | Nov. 30 - Dec. 15 | 4 |
| Calf injury | Jan. 27 - present | 3 |
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PSG match schedule
The French club acquired Ramos, Lionel Messi and a host of other stars with the goal of helping PSG win its first-ever Champions League title. If it can't get past Real Madrid in the Round of 16, only the French Ligue 1 slate will remain through the end of the season.
That would represent an anticlimactic end to PSG's 2021-22 season with plenty of change expected in the summer, especially in case of another Champions League failure. As things stand, the club will be hoping its season is ending with the Champions League final on May 28 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
| Date | Competition | Opponent (Home/Away) |
| Tues, Feb. 15 | Champions League | Real Madrid (H) |
| Sat, Feb. 19 | Ligue 1 | Nantes (A) |
| Sat, Feb. 26 | Ligue 1 | Saint-Etienne (H) |
| Sat, Mar. 5 | Ligue 1 | Nice (A) |
| Wed, Mar. 9 | Champions League | Real Madrid (A) |
| Sun, Mar. 13 | Ligue 1 | Bordeaux (H) |
| Sun, Mar. 20 | Ligue 1 | Monaco (A) |
| Sun, Apr. 3 | Ligue 1 | Lorient (H) |
| Sun, Apr. 10 | Ligue 1 | Clermont Foot (A) |
| Sun, Apr. 17 | Ligue 1 | Marseille (H) |
| Wed, Apr. 20 | Ligue 1 | Angers (A) |
| Sun, Apr. 24 | Ligue 1 | Lens (H) |
| Sun, May 1 | Ligue 1 | Strasbourg (A) |
| Sun, May 8 | Ligue 1 | Troyes (H) |
| Sat, May 14 | Ligue 1 | Montpellier (A) |
| Sat, May 21 | Ligue 1 | Metz (H) |