PSG: Neymar, more fear than harm before Dortmund

Thomas Tuchel affirmed, this Wednesday evening in Dijon, that Neymar was not sure to play next Tuesday in Dortmund in the knockout stages of the Champions League. In question, his rib injury, contracted against Montpellier on February 1, which still hurts the Brazilian.

And yet the number 10 in Paris continues to train as if nothing had happened at the Camp des Loges. This Thursday, the day after the victory in the Coupe de France (6-1) in which he did not participate, Neymar showed up at the training center at 11 am for the session scheduled for noon.

He did this in its entirety, even participating in the small opposition on reduced ground to close the morning. The communication department immediately published photos of the various exercises where we see the crack of Santos, hat on his head, in full driving ball during a small game.

And already a new meeting to prepare! ⚡️

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Difficult to see a player in doubt about his physical ability to support a match in official competition. However, this has been happening for a week now, since Neymar resumed training on February 6 before declining to face Lyon (February 9) and Dijon (February 12), after having already missed Nantes (February 4).

"If you can bear the pain, you can play"

Previously, he had nevertheless taken care to celebrate his birthday with great fanfare on February 2 in the evening in a Parisian club and with twenty of his teammates. But his presence in training on Thursday does not mean much except that the 28-year-old has avoided a crack or a rib fracture. Especially since once again, it seemed to evolve without apparent discomfort during the exercises on Thursday.

"What characterizes this type of injury located between the cartilage and the rib bone is pain," deciphers a specialist. If you can bear the pain, you can play. These are moving areas of the body that potentially can hurt you during a dribble or movement. It is therefore the player who will decide when to resume based on his feelings. Otherwise, there is always the possibility of anaesthetizing these areas with infiltration during a match. But the fact that Neymar played the second period against Montpellier is still a sign of benignity. So what about next?

A few minutes of play in Amiens?

In Brazil, the entourage of the star is not too worried and does not seem to bet on a package next Tuesday at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Difficult to say, however, that Neymar will be present at the Unicorn stadium on Saturday against Amiens, but the trend would still like him to find a few minutes of play before moving to the Ruhr.

In Dijon, the PSG coach had taken refuge behind the club's medical staff to justify his player's package. "It is a medical decision because the risk is too great," he said. The training being scheduled at 4 p.m., the technician should take shelter behind the famous "last session" before making a final decision. But if Neymar does not see Amiens, he could still hear the little music from the Champions League. On the ground of course.