PARIS (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery has said Neymar needs to learn not to respond to provocation after the world’s most expensive player was sent off against Marseille last weekend.
The $264 million Brazilian picked up a second yellow card late in Sunday’s 2-2 draw between the bitter rivals at the Velodrome for reacting to a foul by Lucas Ocampos.
Neymar got up and shoved Ocampos and the Argentine’s over-reaction played its part in the ex-Barcelona man receiving his second booking, just two minutes after his first.
”He is going through the process of adapting to the league, the team, the referees, but he is intelligent. He is also aware that he must learn from what happened on Sunday,” said Emery ahead of Friday’s Ligue 1 meeting with Nice.
Neymar will be automatically suspended for that game at the Parc des Princes.
”He was sought out more aggressively by the opposition, and it is important that referees know how to handle matches where these situations occur on the field,” Emery added.
”I spoke to him about it before the match and we said not to get involved in any provocation. But on the pitch, with the intensity and the aggression, the players are people, and we need everyone to maintain our balance and do the job well.”
The Nice game will be just the second that Neymar has missed since making his Paris debut in August — he previously sat out a 0-0 draw at Montpellier last month.
Emery could make other changes to his side with the encounter coming four days ahead of the home Champions League meeting with Anderlecht, where a win could wrap up their place in the last 16.
Veteran midfielder Thiago Motta will not feature against Nice because of a knee complaint, while Emery could have a problem at right-back as both Dani Alves and Thomas Meunier are doubts.
Angel Di Maria could benefit from Neymar’s absence to make just a second start since August.