While PSG have assembled one of the deepest attacking units in football, they still have one player who remains critical to their chances of UEFA Champions League glory.
Ousmane Dembele has had an unbelievable campaign, putting him in contention for the Ballon d’Or, while simultaneously leading PSG to the brink of a maiden European crown.
However, fear ran rampant as Dembele was forced off with an apparent muscle injury during the second half PSG’s Champions League semifinal first leg at Arsenal, where the former Barcelona attacker scored the only goals of the contest in the fourth minute.
Thankfully for the French giants, it appears that his injury is minor. But with only a week to recover before the second leg of the matchup next week, fans of both sides will be watching his status closely as kickoff approaches.
The Jugo Mobile has the latest on Dembele’s status after being withdrawn in the 70th minute of the first leg at the Emirates Stadium, with the return fixture in Paris set for kickoff on May 7.
Latest news, reports on Ousmane Dembele injury
Reports vary on the extent of Ousmane Dembele’s hamstring injury. While all indications point towards the injury being minor in severity, it’s still tough to parse out whether he can recover in a week or if he will need a bit more time.
Dembele himself said after the match, “It’s going to be fine!” But sometimes the players can be hard to trust.
PSG head coach Luis Enrique was also optimistic, but he stopped short of confirming that Dembele would be able to recover in time. “It’s nothing serious, it’s rather light, but there is a doubt for the return match,” the Spaniard said after the Arsenal match. However, he did reiterate that it was “just a niggle,” so there is hope for a quick recovery.
Luis Enrique will likely have more information to share on the ensuing medical tests in his pre-match availability ahead of their weekend league fixture at Strasbourg.
Will Ousmane Dembele play second leg vs. Arsenal
At this point, it feels likely that Dembele will be fit to play against Arsenal in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal, but that is far from confirmed.
On Friday, Luis Enrique confirmed Dembele will sit out the weekend league game at Strasbourg. PSG have nothing left to play for in that arena, having already confirmed their domestic title while their push for an unbeaten league campaign fell short against Nice last weekend.
Luis Enrique added that Dembele was “recovering favourably”, boosting hopes that he will be ready to take on Arsenal once more.
