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Thomas Tuchel Says PSG Must Clear Up Neymar's Situation 'As Soon as Possible'
August 26, 2019
Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has called on the club to clarify Neymar's future as quickly as possible.
The Brazilian, who has been linked with an exit from the French capital throughout the summer, was absent from PSG's 4-0 win over Toulouse on Sunday.
Tuchel told Canal+ (h/t Goal's Josh Thomas): "It has always been our goal to close this folder as soon as possible. Leonardo knows that I want to keep him. But that doesn't depend only on him. The situation is not very clear, yes. And we must clear it up."
Neymar suffered an ankle injury in June that caused him to miss the Copa America, and he spent pre-season recovering from the problem.
He is yet to feature for PSG this season, but Tuchel confirmed to Canal+ (h/t Get French Football News) that he would have played against Toulouse if the club "were certain" about his situation.
PSG won comfortably on Sunday thanks to a brace from Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, which came either side of an own goal from Mathieu Goncalves, and a late goal from Marquinhos.
However, Edinson Cavani was taken off after 14 minutes with a groin problem, and a hamstring issue saw Kylian Mbappe withdrawn midway through the second half.
Jerome Pugmire of the Associated Press believes Neymar should have been in squad despite his situation:
Jerome Pugmire @jeromepugmireCavani and Mbappe limped off with what look like leg-muscle injuries. Meanwhile Neymar is still not playing, even though he's fit to play - according to PSG's coach this week. But if Neymar's fit then he should 100 percent be in the squad, regardless of whether he wants to leave.
Football writer Robin Bairner suggested the injuries to Mbappe and Cavani could prevent Neymar's departure:
Although PSG could name a front three of Choupo-Moting, Angel Di Maria and Pablo Sarabia in the absence of Neymar, Mbappe and Cavani, that attacking lineup isn't of nearly the same calibre.
The Brazilian has scored 51 goals and assisted 29 in his 58 PSG appearances, so if Mbappe and Cavani are set for lengthy spells on the sidelines, the club will need his match-winning capabilities to mitigate their absence.
The transfer window will close on September 2, but PSG play Metz on Friday. If the forward is still at the club when that game is played, he should be involved.