Mauricio Pochettino revealed Neymar is close to returning for Paris Saint-Germain as he urged critics to respect the team's Champions League win over Barcelona.
The PSG head coach did not specify whether Neymar would come into contention for Sunday's home match against lowly Nantes, who sit 19th in the 20-team Ligue 1 table.
Speaking on Saturday, Pochettino faced questions about the performance of his players in the second leg of their clash with Barcelona, with a string of excellent saves by Keylor Navas, including a penalty stop from Lionel Messi, helping the French side snatch a 1-1 draw.
That clinched a 5-2 aggregate victory, and Pochettino wants to hear more admiration for such a scoreline, given the stature of the opposition.
On the question of when Neymar would return from an injury lay-off that has extended to a month, Pochettino explained: "I think I said there was a chance he'd be back for the Barcelona game.
"We also knew it would be difficult to set a timeframe because players' recoveries can be difficult to predict. He has trained with the squad today, we are pleased with his progress, and we hope he will be back with the team soon."
But Pochettino was probed over how PSG allowed Barcelona to be so dominant for large parts of the second leg of their European tie, particularly the first half, and he was not happy for his team's achievement to be followed by such interrogation.
"I don't understand why we should be so focused on that," Pochettino said.
"That was the story of the first half of the second leg against Barcelona when we didn't play well. That is the reality. But focusing too much on that in my opinion would be a mistake.
"Of course we analyse everything that happens during games but we mustn't forget the team have reached the quarter-finals after beating a strong Barcelona side, and overall it finished 5-2 after 180 minutes. That is the reality.
"There have been games where we played well and lost, such as the game against Monaco [which PSG lost 2-0 last month], and other games where we haven't performed so well.
"The most important thing is to learn and we do have to improve because none of us were happy with the first half, but after achieving such a big target I think our performance in the first half can be downplayed."
With third-placed Lyon only drawing against Reims on Friday, PSG remain in the thick of a title battle, with leaders Lille having a tricky clash with Monaco on Sunday.
PSG sit second as they chase a fourth successive league title, and they cannot afford to slip up against a Nantes side who are equally in need of points.
"Yes, it will be a tough game for us," Pochettino said. "I wouldn't say it would be a trap, but we are aware that after such a happy night for the club and the fans, with us getting through in the Champions League, it is in our minds that the next game is important. That is the theory, but we know it's an important game and we have to put that into practice.
"Preparation is essential in football. We often say we are ready, but Nantes are a physical side who will make things difficult, just as Monaco did after we played Barcelona [in the first leg], but that is why our performance level is essential and we have to be fresh.
"I will try to select a team that can really battle with Nantes and have that freshness that can give us the energy that we need in this sort of game."
Manning bemoans Bristol City struggles after Severnside derby draw
Bristol City manager Liam Manning was left to rue another disappointing showing after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Championship strugglers Cardiff City.
Manning's side are eight places and six points clear of bottom-side Cardiff after a frustrating performance at Ashton Gate.
Luke McNally's powerful header 17 minutes from time rescued the hosts after Bluebirds winger Ollie Tanner had the away side ahead with a fine individual goal in the second half of the Severnside derby.
Tanner and Rubin Colwill both missed presentable chances with Cardiff leading and Manning conceded his side were far too open in a performance that has characterised their stop-start campaign.
"I think when I look at the week, it's probably a little bit of us this season. I'm frustrated, I think, that we haven't got more points," Manning said on Sky Sports.
"I thought we had some good moments and good chances, especially early on. Probably frustrated is how I am feeling right now.
"We gave up too many chances, too many little bits that weren't quite right that led to them having decent opportunities, which probably didn't happen in the previous two games.
"I think the division will be one of the tightest in a long while. The margins are so fine."
McNally's late leveller came after Cardiff failed to clear their lines following Fally Mayulu hitting the post.
Interim Cardiff manager Omer Riza was frustrated to concede in such a way, saying his side had worked on similar situations in the week building up to the hotly anticipated second-tier derby.
"The boys played really well, they played with energy and with character," Riza said on BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"We wanted to dominate the ball and I felt we did that in certain instances in the game and we managed to get our noses in front.
"We are a little bit deflated in the end not to come away with the three points because the goal has come from something we've been working on, clearing our lines at the right times and not taking risks.
"The performance overall was wholehearted and the boys showed that they care about the supporters and care about the team."
Williams shares blame as Athletic miss three penalties against Girona
Inaki Williams acknowledged Athletic Bilbao missing three penalties against Girona cannot happen in LaLiga, while taking the blame for his part in the disappointment.
Alex Berenguer was denied by Paulo Gazzaniga in the first half from 12 yards, with Williams then denied in the second period by the Girona goalkeeper on Sunday.
Gazzaniga was adjudged to have stepped off his line too early for the Williams spot-kick save, though the former Tottenham man then saved from Ander Herrera's retaken penalty.
In a remarkable turn of fate, Cristhian Stuani converted a 99th-minute penalty for the visiting Girona to snatch a 2-1 victory, much to the dismay of Athletic winger Williams.
"There are no excuses, we missed three penalties. I plead absolutely guilty, we can't miss three penalties. This can't happen in LaLiga," a frustrated Williams said.
With Williams' miss not officially counting due to the retake, Athletic became the first side in LaLiga to miss two penalties in one match since Real Madrid in 2022.
It was also the first time this century that the Basque club have suffered such a feat in the competition, solely down to the heroic exploits of Gazzaniga.
"I'm happy for the three points the team got. I don't remember another match like this," Gazzaniga said.
"Again, I would like to highlight the work of the team because without them it wouldn't have been possible.
"We were studying the penalties with the goalkeeping coach and this time it worked out well."
Girona's victory ended a four-match winless run in LaLiga heading into the October international break.
Flick keen to avoid Barcelona and Bayern comparisons
Hansi Flick's Barcelona have made a flying start to the season, but he was reluctant to draw comparisons with his all-conquering Bayern Munich team.
Barca moved three points clear at the top of LaLiga after Robert Lewandowski's first-half hat-trick helped them to a 3-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.
In the league, Barcelona have already scored 28 goals in nine games, more than any other team in the division, and the most of any team across the top five European leagues.
Flick took interim charge at Bayern midway through the 2019-20 season, guiding them to a treble by winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and the Champions League.
However, the manager believes it is too early to compare the two sides.
"No, no, I don't like that. This team is different," Flick told reporters.
"The situation is different. At the moment, things look good. I'm happy to be the coach of this team, but I know that things can change really quickly in football.
"We value what we have, it's fantastic to see things work... What this team is doing is amazing. The atmosphere in the dressing room is great.
"It's not just about winning and losing. We analyse matches, that's why we have a very large group of analysts. We want to show the players what we can improve on for the next match."
Lewandowski's hat-trick was the fourth-earliest ever scored by a Barcelona player in LaLiga (32 minutes), and took his tally up to 10 goals in the competition.
Flick was full of praise for his striker, who was part of that treble-winning team at Bayern.
"Lewandowski is the same player I knew in Munich, and he's the best in the box. What he does is fantastic, he's always ready to score," Flick added.
"I think we should praise everyone in the team, they're all helping him. He's in good form, and I'm happy to see that. I'm happy for the three points and happy with Lewy's performance.
"In the first half, we didn't make any mistakes, we didn't allow Alaves to play their game. That was the key to winning."
The only blemish at the Mendizorrotza Stadium was the injury suffered by forward Ferran Torres, who limped off five minutes into the game.
"We still don't know what injury Ferran has, but it looks muscular. We'll see with the medical tests tomorrow," Flick said.
"Ferran's injury is worrying. We don't have many options in attack, but we'll see what happens.
"We hope to recover the injured players in the international break. We will see in the next two weeks, and we hope they return in good shape."
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