PSG have decided to give Ousmane Dembélé several days off. The Paris forward will not take part in the upcoming training sessions and will therefore be unavailable for Friday’s trip to Lille. His return to the PSG Campus is scheduled for Monday.
A week-long break right at the start of the season. Paris Saint-Germain have officially announced that Ousmane Dembélé will be rested following a difficult start to the campaign for the France international. The decision was made jointly by Luis Enrique and the club’s sporting management. “In agreement with the coach and the sporting management, Ousmane Dembélé will benefit from a period of rest over the next few days. He will return to training on Monday with the rest of the squad,” PSG stated.
Dembélé ruled out against Lille
The decision means Dembélé will miss Friday’s trip to Lille. PSG will therefore have to cope without the forward, who started Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Rennes. His game was cut short, however, as Luis Enrique replaced him at half-time along with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. His replacement, Ferran Torres, immediately transformed the Paris side by scoring both of PSG’s goals.
The break comes in a particular context. Dembélé returned late after a busy summer and had virtually no proper pre-season preparation, so Paris appear to have opted for a complete break of several days to allow him to recover physically and mentally. The timing nevertheless raises questions, as it comes immediately after his substitution against Rennes and Luis Enrique’s firm warning that no player has a guaranteed place and everyone must prove themselves in every training session and every match.
Officially, however, this is not a punishment. PSG have described it solely as a “period of rest”, decided “in agreement with the coach and the sporting management”. Dembélé is expected back with the squad on Monday, with Paris hoping to have a fresher player available for the upcoming fixtures.
