Neymar Jr. has been ruled out of the Paris Saint-Germain squad for their upcoming league match against Nantes on Tuesday, because of a rib injury.

The Brazilian international played for the entire 90 minutes as PSG registered a 5-0 triumph against Montpellier over the weekend. However, he needed treatment during the game. 24 hours later, Neymar celebrated his 28th birthday at a Parisian nightclub.

It is understood that PSG manager Thomas Tuchel isn't happy with the event. He admitted that his side's preparation for the upcoming fixture wasn't ideal, as several PSG players accompanied Neymar on Sunday night in the nightclub close to the Eiffel Tower.

Tuchel 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."

On Monday, PSG confirmed that Neymar's test showed that he suffered a cartilage injury during the first half of Saturday's Ligue 1 encounter. Interestingly, Neymar wasn't the only PSG player the club manager was questioned about. He was also asked about his touchline spat with Kylian Mbappe.

Neymar
Neymar Getty

In reply, Tuchel claimed that there's no personal love lost between him and the 21-year-old world champion Frenchman. Mbappe was seen to have reacted angrily after he was substituted midway through the second half.

According to Tuchel, Mbappe reacted in that manner because he didn't want to come off the pitch. Additionally, Tuchel also claimed that he needed to substitute the Frenchman because as a coach, he wanted to give opportunities to other players who deserve it.

PSG is leading the Ligue 1 table convincingly with 55 points after playing 22 games. They are 12 points clear of second-ranked Marseille. In two weeks, the defending Ligue 1 champions will take on Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion during the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 fixture.

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