The forward had arrived in Brazil with a leg injury, even though he was certain to miss Friday’s game against Venezuela in Sao Paulo.

But the national team’s doctors had hoped he would recover in time for the second match in the double-header next Tuesday.

“We were hopeful that he could play, that’s why we brought him to Brazil,” team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said late Thursday.

“He improved but not enough to be ready for the game on Tuesday against Uruguay. The backroom staff decided to release Neymar Junior.”

It was not clear whether he would remain with the Brazil squad or return to Paris.

Brazil won both their opening qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last month.

They are the only side in the 10-team South American section with a 100 per cent record so far.

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This development follows his injury against Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Neymar came off with a thigh muscle problem in the 26th minute of the 2-0 win over the Turkish side.

“Neymar should be back after the international break,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 game at Nantes on Saturday.

The break in domestic action runs from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17 when international matches will be played.

Brazil play 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at home to Venezuela and away to Uruguay on Nov. 13 and Nov. 17 respectively.

PSG, on 18 points from eight games, lead the standings on goal difference ahead of Lille.

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Forward Florian Thauvin struck in the 31st minute of a pulsating though ill-tempered match at the Parc des Princes for Marseille’s first league win over PSG since November 2011.

It condemned PSG, who were last season’s UEFA Champions League runners-up, to their second straight league defeat after they suffered a 1-0 opening day setback at Lens.

Thauvin scored against the run of play, steering in a Dimitri Payet free-kick inside the near post from close range.

This was after the home side had come close through Marco Verratti and Neymar, who also missed a pair of chances in the second half.

Littered by crunching fouls at either end in the first half, the game produced some free-flowing football after the break.

Visiting goalkeeper Steve Mandanda pulled off several superb saves and both sides had goals disallowed for offside.

Angel Di Maria’s effort for PSG was ruled out in the 62nd minute.

Marseille substitute Dario Benedetto’s scorcher was also scrapped two minutes later as Thauvin, who unleashed the initial shot, was marginally behind the last PSG defender.

PSG, who missed several first-team regulars who had contracted the COVID-19 virus, pressed hard in the closing stages.

But Marseille’s rugged defence held firm as the 1993 European Cup winners made it two wins out of two.

A full scale brawl broke out on the pitch in the last minute of stoppage time.

It forced referee Jerome Brisard to send off PSG’s Neymar, Laywin Kurzawa and Leandro Paredes, as well as Marseille’s duo of Benedetto and Jordan Amavi.

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His comments have come a day after the French Ligue 1 champions lost their delayed season-opener 1-0 to Lens.

Neymar announced his return on Twitter having recently missed both training and Thursday’s game where PSG were also missing 2018 FIFA World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.

The French football federation said Mbappe tested positive for the coronavirus between the 2020/2021 UEFA Nations League matches involving France recently.

These were against Sweden —- where he scored the winner —- and at home to Croatia —- where he did not play.

PSG said several other unnamed players in their squad had also tested positive for Covid-19.

From their regular eleven, Mauro Icardi and Angel Di Maria were also missing.

Neymar concluded his Tweet with the message “#CORONAOUT.”

PSG’s trip to Lens was moved back to give them more recovery time from playing the 2020 UEFA Champions League final match on Aug. 23.

They will host traditional rivals Marseille in the league on Sunday.

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The Brazil forward, who scored the only goal against Racing Strasbourg last weekend, found the back of the net three minutes from time.

The victory put PSG on 15 points from six games, leaving Lyon in ninth place seven points behind.

Second-placed Angers, who demolished St Etienne 4-1 earlier on Sunday, are three points off the pace.

Also on Sunday, Rennes drew 1-1 at home to Lille.

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A woman he met online had said he flew her to Paris and assaulted her in a hotel there.

Neymar had denied the accusations and released private chats and lurid photos they had exchanged.

That led to a separate police inquiry into whether he had committed a crime by posting intimate pictures online.

Sponsor Nike had gone on to say it was concerned about the accusations and Mastercard called off an advertising campaign featuring the football player.

Brazil prosecutors now have 15 days to decide whether they would follow the police recommendations or file rape charges anyway, although they usually defer to police guidance.

An injury in the Copa America last month led Neymar to sit out the tournament, which Brazil won, and to miss pre-season training with his club Paris St-Germain (PSG).

Neymar stoked speculation of a return to Spain’s FC Barcelona this month after sharing a video of himself on social media wearing a shirt from his former club.

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The Brazil international joined the Ligue 1 side from FC Barcelona for a world record 222 million euros (£198 million) in August 2017.

However, he missed large parts of the 2018/2019 campaign through injury and suspension and made just 17 league appearances, scoring 15 goals.

PSG will consider selling the 27-year-old in the forthcoming transfer window if they receive a substantial offer, a report in L’Equipe said on Sunday.

Neymar is said to be unsettled at the club and has told relatives that he was having difficulties in France.

This was even before he was accused of raping a woman in a Paris hotel in May.

The player has since denied any wrongdoing, however.

The report comes on the back of strong comments from chairman and CEO Al-Khelaifi about the attitude of squad members.

“Players will have to be more responsible than before,” he told France Football.

“It must be completely different. They will have to do more and work harder. They are not there for their own amusement.

“If they do not agree, the doors are open ——- Ciao! I do not want star behaviour anymore.”

His words come after a disappointing season for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

In spite of clinching the league title, they were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the last 16 stage by Manchester United.

They also failed to win either of France’s major domestic cup competitions.

On Friday, the club announced the return of Leonardo as sporting director, with the Brazilian replacing Antero Henrique in the role six years after his departure.

“I realised changes were essential,” Al-Khelaifi said.

“Otherwise, we were going nowhere. Leonardo will have absolute sporting power.

“Leo is my guy – incredible. He has my total confidence. His natural authority will be good for everybody – especially the players.”

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The Brazil striker left the pitch after an hour in a French Cup last 32 game after receiving a knock and twisting his ankle.

His injury has come three weeks before PSG travel to Manchester United for their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg fixture.

PSG, who are runaway leaders in Ligue 1, are already sweating on the fitness of key midfielder Marco Verratti, who is suffering from an ankle injury.

Thomas Tuchel’s side prevailed at the Parc des Princes, thanks to a goal in each half from Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria.

Elsewhere, St Etienne slumped to a 6-3 home defeat to Dijon.

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It was a result which left the English club’s hopes of reaching the last 16 hanging in the balance.

PSG set out like a team determined finally to prove their credentials on the big European stage, and went in front in the 13th minute through Juan Bernat.

Neymar made it 2-0 eight minutes before halftime after a lightning PSG counter-attack.

Yet with the French champions in cruise control, Angel Di Maria needlessly brought down Sadio Mane to concede a penalty kick.

James Milner converted it in first-half stoppage time to give Liverpool hope.

The visitors could not find an equaliser, though, slipping to a third away group defeat.

It was the first time they have lost all three group matches away from Anfield in the UEFA Champions League.

The result sees PSG leapfrog Liverpool, with eight points to Liverpool’s six, with Napoli top of the group on nine and everything still to play for in the final round of matches.

Liverpool head into the game against Napoli at Anfield needing to win 1-0 or by two goals or more to guarantee their spot in the knockout stages.

PSG will go through with a win over Red Star Belgrade.

Desperate to make an impression on the European stage, PSG were handed a pre-match boost with both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe passed fit to play.

They have not reached a UEFA Champions League semi-final since 1995.

The duo of Mbappe and Neymar caused the Liverpool backline plenty of problems from the start.

Goalkeeper Alisson was forced into a smart save to deny Di Maria and Mbappe then fired straight at the Brazilian.

Bernat then danced into the Liverpool box after pouncing on Virgil van Dijk’s poor clearance to break the deadlock.

After Mbappe and Neymar combined down the left, the Frenchman squared for Edinson Cavani, whose effort was saved only for Neymar to convert the rebound.

He thus became the top-scoring Brazilian in UEFA Champions League history in the process.

After Milner got Liverpool back into the game, the old PSG might have let the setback get into their heads.

They have suffered plenty of UEFA Champions League disappointments against high calibre opposition.

Yet they stood firm as Liverpool pressed after the break and came closest to scoring again, when a bullet header from Marquinhos was brilliantly saved by Alisson.

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Brazil international Neymar, making his first appearance in Paris since suffering a season-ending foot injury in February, struck in the 10th minute.

Midfielder Christopher Nkunku had ran on to a stray pass from Caen goalkeeper Brice Samba to release the forward.

Adrien Rabiot then tapped the ball into the net in the 35th minute to double the lead with fellow midfielder Angel di Maria providing the assist from inside the penalty area.

Substitute Weah, the son of former PSG forward and Liberia President George Weah, got his maiden league goal late in the match.

The result must be a delight for new PSG boss Thomas Tuchel who took charge of the club for the first time in the league.

Also, new PSG signing Gianluigi Buffon enjoyed a memorable debut for the club.

The veteran goalkeeper, who joined from Juventus in the close season, made two important saves in the first half.

PSG rested Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti with Tuchel handing league debuts to three 19-year-olds in Colin Dagba, Stanley N’Soki and Antoine Bernede.

PSG finished the match with six players on the field aged under 20.

Earlier, forwards Bertrand Traore and Memphis Depay got on the scoresheet as Olympique Lyonnais beat Amiens SC 2-0.

Ibrahima Sissoko and Nuno da Costa scored as Strasbourg beat 10-man Bordeaux 2-0 in another match.

Bordeaux centre back Pablo was shown a red card in the 14th minute of the match for a poor challenge on Strasbourg forward Ludovic Ajorque.

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