February 4 – Neymar is out injured again. So what, you might ask. Except that a rib injury which will keep out of action against Nantes in the French league tonight was made worse by partying at a nightclub to celebrate his 28th birthday.
The Brazil international played a full 90 minutes on Saturday despite picking up a first-half knock and receiving treatment. Twenty-four hours later he was out parting at a shindig close to the Eiffel tower, with several teammates among the guests.
“Is it the best way to prepare for a match? No, clearly not,” said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel. “Is it the worst thing in the world? No.”
“I always protect my players, and I really love my team. With this party, I accept that it is a bit difficult to protect the players, but the context is not simply black or white.
“It is a shame, because we are giving people the chance to speak badly of us. We need to adapt to the situation, but I am not going to leave a player on the bench or at home because they went out and celebrated.”
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