Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel said he can understand why supporters are frustrated with Neymar after the Ligue 1 side began their title defence without him.
The Brazil forward was not named in the matchday squad for the 3-0 win over Nimes at the Parc des Princes with Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria all scoring.
Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona for a world record £200m in August 2017 but has since been linked with a move back to the Nou Camp or to Real Madrid.
The 27-year-old remained the focus of attention despite his absence, with a number of fans holding a banner telling him to "get lost" and chanting about him during the game.
"It's tricky, I don't know what to say," Tuchel told L'Equipe.
"I saw it on my colleagues' smartphones because I did not hear them (the chants) during the match.
"Can I understand it? Yes and no. He's still our player, my player, and I protect all my players.
"He's in my dressing room. I can understand that not everyone has liked what he has said and done."
Cavani's penalty - following a VAR review on 25 minutes - gave PSG the half-time lead before second-half goals from Mbappe and Di Maria sealed the victory.
Asked if Neymar's creativity was missing, Tuchel added: "It's always missing because he can find solutions that only he can find. He can open space with movement, an injection of pace, one on ones."