The German giants will have to contend with Neymar on Tuesday when they meet Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 of the Champions League
Neymar will play in Paris Saint-Germain‘s Champions League last-16 first leg against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, Thomas Tuchel has confirmed.
The Brazil international has been out of action since suffering a rib injury on February 1, missing four matches since then in domestic competitions.
He was confirmed in PSG’s squad earlier on Monday, as the Ligue 1 champions prepare to go up against Tuchel’s former club for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Kylian Mbappe is also back in the squad after being rested for Saturday’s thrilling 4-4 draw with Amiens, but the focus has been on Neymar’s potential involvement.
Tuchel says he will play, barring any last-minute issues in training.
“Neymar is here, he is feeling well,” the German coach told reporters. “He trained today [Monday] and will be playing tomorrow if nothing happens during training.
“Obviously, it changes everything if he plays and I hope it will be a positive thing.
“If we have Ney on the field, he has the ability to do decisive things. That changes everything: for his team-mates, for Kylian.
“It gives me confidence, but also the team. That seems obvious to me.”
Neymar has been in phenomenal form this season, scoring 13 times and setting up another six goals in his 14 Ligue 1 matches.
The most expensive player of all time has only played twice in the Champions League this term, however, scoring once.
PSG were knocked out at the last-16 last season by Manchester United and Tuchel says his team are eager to improve on that finish this time around.
“The bigger the match, the greater the pressure, the less you have to add,” he added.
“Before a match like this we have to prepare, but prepare for it several months before kick-off. I have the feeling that we have been ready for several weeks. Now is the time to prove it.
“It’s difficult in this stage, I don’t know if it’s possible for 90 minutes but we have to play with a lot of intelligence.
“Things get emotional, we will have to adapt. It’s a very high-level match in a stadium with huge supporters. We have to stay calm and attentive.”
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