Neymar, PSG still not at 100pc: coach

Brazilian star Neymar and his coach Thomas Tuchel fully agreed yesterday that no-one at Paris Saint-Germain was “yet at 100 per cent.” Neymar “is perhaps not at 100pc, but he’s close,” Tuchel said at a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League home game against Red Star Belgrade.

“I’m not at 100pc of my fitness, no one is at 100pc, it’s the start of the season and we haven’t played many matches,” said Neymar. “World football reaches its peak around February and March, with the biggest matches. “I’m working, every match, every day, on improving both physically and technically,” Neymar added. Asked about the injury in March which ended his PSG season and compounded his build-up to the World Cup in Russia, Neymar said it had made him “very sad.”

Brazil’s elimination from the quarter-finals of the competition was also a source of “great frustration”. But he added: “My injury, the World Cup, they are in the past.” After losing their opening group game to Liverpool, PSG need a victory against Red Star if they are to salvage their group campaign. Tuchel said yesterday his public statements after the loss at Anfield were not the same as his “unofficial” reaction.

“You can well imagine that the official reaction should not be the unofficial reaction,” he said. “It was a very tough defeat for us, we did not play to our best. Certain criticism had to be made in the dressing room. “It was only the first match in the group, so you cannot exaggerate the criticism, we had to keep calm,” said the German.“I am very happy with their reaction, we have to continue tomorrow.”