Brazillian international footballer and Paris Saint-Germain attacker, Neymar has disclosed that management is scared to feature him in matches in the past few weeks although he has fully recovered.
The 28-year-old wasn’t selected for PSG’s past three Ligue 1 matches due to injury and was a doubt for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 clash against Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Neymar did start that match and despite himself scoring in the second half, he couldn’t help his side avoid a 2-1 first-leg defeat.
Having impressed on his return to action, the Brazilian declared that he’s been ready to play for a while but PSG has opted to keep him on the sidelines.
“It was not my choice not to play the last matches. I wanted to play, I felt good,” Neymar said post-match.
“The club was afraid and it is I who suffer from it.”
It’s been an injury-interrupted season so far for Neymar with a hamstring injury in October also seeing him miss six matches.
The Brazilian’s return to full fitness is however timely as PSG look to avoid another round of 16 exits in the Champions League.
Set to host Dortmund in Paris next month, Marquinhos has called on his side to seize the initiative in the second leg.
“I think we still had possession of the ball in the first half but we were not very intense and active in our game. We missed a lot of balls,” he told RMC Sport.
“They tried to counter the mistakes we made and that’s where they hurt. We conceded two goals on small details that made the difference with a striker [Haaland] who really has a sense of goal; maybe he is not too much in the match but the ball arrives and he puts it in. But still, we managed to score a goal, it’s important for the return match.
“By the return match we will work well for all the players are in top form, and we can make a very big match. It will take a mentality of winners. They have the score, and we have to make a good victory at home, be aggressive, solid behind because we know that it is important not to take a goal at home.
“These are the things that are clear: more intensity, more aggressiveness in our counter-pressing because it was lacking today. It’s the little details that make the difference and it is certain that we will do better because otherwise, we will not succeed.”
