The reigning Ligue 1 champions are set to play a second pre-season friendly without their Brazilian forward as he continues to be linked with a move
Neymar has not been named in Paris Saint-Germain’s squad to face Nurnberg in a friendly in Germany on Saturday.
In a statement published to the club’s website, PSG listed “training” as the reason for the star’s absence from the 23-man group.
Brazil forward Neymar commenced pre-season work with the Ligue 1 champions earlier this week amid intense transfer speculation.
The 27-year-old was not involved in PSG’s midweek win over Dynamo Dresden and has not featured at any level since sustaining ankle-ligament damage while on international duty against Qatar last month.
He recently claimed to be back at “almost 100 per cent” after being forced to miss the Copa America.
Neymar’s future remains unclear as he continues to push for a return to Barcelona, plans PSG boss Thomas Tuchel admitted to knowing before the Copa America.
The club’s sporting director, Leonardo, has admitted that he is prepared to part with a fellow Brazilian if a deal can be done which suits all parties.
He has told Le Parisien: “Neymar can leave PSG, if there is an offer that suits everyone.
“But to date, we do not know if anyone wants to buy him or at what price. All this is not done in a day, that’s for sure.
“It’s clear to everyone [that Neymar wants to leave], but in football, you say one thing today and tomorrow another. It’s amazing but it’s like that.
“We talked with his entourage too. Everyone knows everything. The position is clear for all participants. But one thing is concrete today: he still has three years of contract with us and since we have not received an offer, we cannot discuss anything.”
He added: “PSG wants to rely on players who want to stay and build something big. We do not need players who would do a favour for the club by staying here.”
The Ligue 1 champions are scheduled to fly to China on Tuesday for friendlies against Serie A side Inter and A-League outfit Sydney FC.
They will remain in the country to face fellow French club Rennes in the Trophee des Champions, their first competitive commitment of the new season.
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