Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 6y

Neymar named in PSG squad after illness, Unai Emery hopeful he will play

PARIS -- Neymar has shaken off illness and is named in the Paris Saint-Germain squad for the Ligue 1 match against rivals Marseille on Sunday.

Brazil international Neymar has been included in coach Unai Emery's 18-man selection for Le Classique at Parc des Princes, but Marco Verratti and Yuri Berchiche have not made it.

He had been struggling prematch with viral symptoms, while Verratti had abdominal pains and Berchiche took a knock to the right thigh during training.

"Neymar is sick, but I hope that he will be back in training on Saturday and that he will be able to play on Sunday," Emery said at his prematch news conference on Friday. "It is not an injury. It is gastroenteritis and a mild fever."

Emery added that Neymar was likely to start if he is passed fit.

"When we play at Parc des Princes, every player feels something special," he said. "Neymar is just like the other players. He is intelligent, and he learns from things that happen, individually and collectively, in order to not repeat the same mistakes.

"If Neymar plays on Sunday, he will be ready. He will be focused on putting in a great performance through his qualities in order to entertain the supporters."

Kylian Mbappe returns from suspension and is available, so Emery could go with a full-strength front three of Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar.

Elsewhere, youth academy graduates Christopher Nkunku and Stanley N'Soki have been left out, while Hatem Ben Arfa remains out of the picture.

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