PSG
Neymar remains a mystery in Luis Enrique’s PSG: when will he return?
The Brazilian is yet to make an appearance in pre-season and his return to action is still a mystery for the French club.
In what is already a strange pre-season for PSG, who have been incapable of winning any of their three games so far in Japan, the French team are also concerned about the return of Brazilian forward Neymar, who is still out of action. The player, out since undergoing surgery on an ankle injury in March, is following a specific recovery plan that is keeping him away from the pitch for the time being.
In Paris there is no rush for Neymar to return, but the fact that Messi is now celebrating goals in MLS and Kylian Mbappé's future lies shrouded in mystery, the desire to see Neymar playing for the team has increased. French media outlet L’Équipe reported that privately, the player has said that “he does not know when he will be back” but that he “feels good” regarding his ankle injury.
Could PSG sell Neymar?
Neymar’s summer has been a rollercoaster that has suffered truly unexpected ups and downs. Last May, PSG declared that the winger was absolutely for sale, even leaking that they would accept a loan without an option to buy in order to save the €3.6 million that they pay him per month.
However, Luis Enrique’s arrival and the ‘Mbappé case’, together with the fact the player is injured with an ankle issue, have definitively taken off the table any option to get rid of the player. Neymar himself is aware of this, although he is repeating the message that has stood firm for years: this could be the year he takes PSG to glory in the Champions League. In 2020 he almost achieved his goal by reaching the final but Bayern stepped in to take the glory from his grasp.
PSG have no idea when Neymar will return
Now, despite the fact that a lot of fans have little faith in the player, the time is now for the Brazilian to take the step to the top of the hierarchy and lead PSG’s season in order to justify his future at the club.
On Thursday, PSG will play their final pre-season game, this time in South Korea, against Jeonbuk: Neymar’s return still an unknown. In France, his return was a given ahead of the game against Inter, but in the end Luis Enrique decided against moving things too quickly with the Brazilian.
On August 12, the Ligue 1 champions start their 23/24 campaign against Lorient at the Parc de Princes in a game in which Neymar should be a part of the squad, unlike Mbappé, whose presence in a navy shirt is also a mystery given everything that has happened since he was left out of the trip to Japan.
