PSG vow to take action as Neymar fails to show

● Brazilian superstar stays away from first day of pre-season amid Barca speculation

Neymar faces disciplinary action from Paris St Germain after failing to turn up for the first day of pre-season training.

The Brazil forward, 27, was scheduled to report back to the French club’s training ground yesterday.

“PSG affirms that the player Neymar Jr was not present at the time and place required, without prior authorisation from the club,” PSG said in a statement on their official website. “PSG regrets this situation and will take appropriate action.”

Neymar, inset, missed the Copa America tournament, which Brazil won by beating Peru 3-1 in Sunday’s final, due to an ankle injury sustained in a friendly against Qatar last month.

He has been linked with a return to former club Barcelona, who sold him to PSG for a world-record transfer fee of £200million in the summer of 2017.

Neymar is banned for three matches at the start of the new Ligue 1 season after lashing out at a fan at the end of PSG’S shock French Cup final defeat to Rennes in April. The former Santos forward will also miss his next three European matches after insulting match officials at the end of his side’s Champions League defeat to Manchester United in March. Meanwhile, Ander Herrera says he left United because of a difference of opinion over his role in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

The 29-year-old Spaniard signed for PSG on a free transfer this month after five years at Old Trafford.

Asked why he left, Herrera told Spanish newspaper Marca: “I do not like looking at the past very much, but there were differences regarding the project and my importance within it. I was very happy, I have a lot to thank the club and the fans for it and also Solskjaer.

“He did a lot for me to stay, but things did not happen, they arrived late, and by then I had already made the decision to play in Paris.”

Herrera’s former United team-mate David De Gea has repeatedly been linked with a move to PSG in recent yearsbut Herrera was coy when asked about the possibility, citing the quality of PSG’S goalkeepers Alphonse Areola and Kevin Trapp.

He said: “David is my friend, I have a great relationship with him and, of course, he is one of the best in the world, for me top three. But here there are already two great goalkeepers.”