Neymar expected to play for PSG against Borussia Dortmund after overcoming injury

Posted Tuesday, February 18, 2020 by Skysports.com

Neymar expected to play for PSG against Borussia Dortmund after overcoming injury
Neymar has overcome a rib injury which ruled him out of PSG's last four games

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar is expected to play against Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League last-16 first-leg tie after overcoming a rib injury, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said.

Neymar did not play in the PSG's 4-4 Ligue 1 draw at Amiens over the weekend when Tuchel rested some other players.

"He is here, he will train and if all goes well he will play tomorrow. Because for us it changes almost everything when he plays and I hope he will play," said Tuchel.

PSG have been knocked out at the last-16 stage of the Champions League in the past three seasons and are desperate to leave a mark on the competition.

"(Neymar) changes everything because if he plays we have his quality and confidence and ability to do decisive.

"It changes everything... because if he does not play we have no other player with that quality to replace him."

Tuchel, who coached Dortmund for two seasons before heading to Paris, will need to devise a plan to stop the Bundesliga side's attack, which has scored 22 goals in their five Bundesliga games so far this year.

Neymar expected to play for PSG against Borussia Dortmund after overcoming injury
Erling Haaland has nine goals in six games for Dortmund since signing for £17m in January

"It is absolutely necessary to play with a lot of confidence in this stadium with such fans and such an opponent, otherwise you cannot survive," he added before the clash at Signal Iduna Park.

"We have the team spirit to overcome difficult situations, adapt to different scenarios. That's the key."

They came agonisingly close to a quarter-final spot last year only to be eliminated by Manchester United with a stoppage-time penalty in the second leg at the Parc des Princes.

"If you lose in the round of 16 for three years and you arrive for a fourth time it is clear it is not the same situation," Tuchel said.

"Every year has its story and maybe we have to accept that it is sport. There are doctors, much more important professions, we play sports but it happens that you lose.

"Maybe later we can breath a bit easier. We are here and it is important to make the most of it."