Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has said that if he did not dive during matches he would end up injured due to a lack of protection. 

The 27-year-old, who has a reputation for going to ground easily, discussed the issue of diving with Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario on OTRO's YouTube channel (h/t Marca).

Ronaldo told Neymar he understood from the player's father he goes down on the pitch "to defend yourself physically" and the PSG star offered his thoughts on the subject.

"If I didn't do it, I'd be injured now," he said. "You have to protect yourself because nobody is going to do it for you."

Neymar is currently out of action after picking up a hamstring injury while playing for Brazil in an international friendly against Nigeria. The problem is expected to keep him out of action for four weeks, per Omnisport:

The Brazilian has spent plenty of time on the treatment table during his career. He was forced out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after breaking a bone in his back in the Selecao's 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia.

Neymar has suffered a further 19 different injuries since the competition, ruling him out for a total of 89 matches:

The Brazilian has still enjoyed a glittering career. He was part of Barcelona's famous "MSN" forward line with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and won two La Liga titles, three Copas del Rey and the UEFA Champions League during his time at the Camp Nou:

Neymar made the shock move from Barcelona to PSG in August 2017 and has gone on to win titles in France but has still spent plenty of time out of action due to injury.

He has missed key games for the French champions, including their Champions League defeat to Manchester United last season, and has missed approximately 40 games due to nine different injuries, according to Alejandro Canas at AS.

Neymar is a wonderfully talented player who is not afraid to show his flair on the pitch. He loves to dribble, beat defenders with a trick and even produced a pass with his back last season against Guingamp:

His showboating has seen him come in for some rough treatment in Ligue 1. He picked up an injury against Strasbourg in January but faced criticism from the opposition manager Thierry Laurey after the match, per Julian Laurens at ESPN FC:

"When you make a pass with your back, it's mocking people. When you exceed the limits, you have to take responsibility. And to take responsibility means that he will get kicked. I didn't ask my players to kick [him], but at some point, I understand why they get fed up of him because he keeps taking the mick."

Strasbourg midfielder Anthony Goncalves also offered his thoughts on Neymar:

Neymar was linked with a move away from PSG over the summer and a return to former club Barcelona.

According to Joaquim Piera at Sport, one of the reasons he was tempted to head back to the Camp Nou was because of the harsh treatment he's faced in France and because "he feels more protected in Spain."