NEYMAR has accused Paris St Germain of letting him “suffer” after claiming the French champions were afraid to play him in recent weeks.
The Brazilian scored on his first appearance for over two weeks in the 2-1 Champions League round of 16 first-leg defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
Neymar missed four games with a rib injury before the Dortmund defeat, but the 28-year-old said he should have been playing in that time.
Speaking to RMC Sport the Brazilian said: “It is difficult to spend four matches without playing, but, unfortunately, it was not my choice.
“It was a choice made by the club, the doctors. They took this decision and I did not like it.
“We had lots of discussions about this because I wanted to play.
“I felt good but the club was scared. In the end, I am the one who suffers.”
Neymar was missing through injury when PSG went out of the Champions League in the last two seasons, against Real Madrid and Manchester United.
He added: “I understand the fear that the club was suffering from, because in the last two years I was not able to play in the round of 16.
“I respect the decision, but it cannot be like this, because the player ends up suffering.
“It was very difficult to play a match like this, intense, 90 minutes without stopping. It is different.
“Had I been in better shape, I would certainly have played better.”
Erling Haaland scored twice for new club Dortmund and Jadon Sancho impressed as PSG suffered another miserable night in the Champions League.
Haaland pounced in the 69th and 77th minutes to give the Germans a 2-1 advantage in the last-16 tie and deal a blow to Neymar’s hopes of a second European winner’s medal.
