Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has been ruled out of Tuesday’s clash against Nantes with a rib injury – just two days after celebrating his 28th birthday in a nightclub.
The Brazil star played the full 90 minutes, assisting a goal, in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Montpellier, but needed treatment in the first-half.
On Sunday, Neymar, who turns 28 on Wednesday, partied with several teammates at a venue close to the Eiffel Tower.
PSG boss Thomas Tuchel admitted the preparation for the Ligue 1 clash was not ideal.
He said: “Is it the best way to prepare for a match? No, clearly not.
“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.”
