Reigning European champions PSG have received an injury blow ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal, as star forward Ousmane Dembele lasted just 27 minutes of the Parisians’ 2-0 win at second-place Lens, a game in which PSG sealed the Ligue One crown ahead of the home side.
Luis Enrique’s side face the Premier League leaders on 30th May at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, as the Parisians look to retain their crown as European champions.
Taken off as a precaution
Reports from the French media suggest that Dembele’s substitution after just 27 minutes of the encounter was just a precaution. However, the seriousness of the forward’s injury has not yet been officially confirmed.
PSG boss Luis Enrique’s early assessment of Dembele’s injury is that ‘It was just fatigue’. If, as expected, he was substituted as a precaution, then there will unlikely be any issues for him heading into the big showdown at the end of the month.
However, if it is slightly more serious, the Ballon d’Or winner could well face a race against time to recover and be at his best.
Dembele would be a massive loss to PSG
The former Barcelona star missing the Champions League final would be a massive blow to the French champions’ hopes of winning European football’s elite competition in back-to-back seasons.
Dembele has scored 18 goals and produced 10 assists in all competitions this season, despite enduring niggling injuries all season, including calf and hamstring issues.
The 29-year-old has started just 11 games in the French top-flight this season, just one more start than in the Champions League. However, the forward has also made 11 substitute appearances in Ligue 1 and two cameos in the Champions League.
PSG has a strong squad to cover for his absence, but there is no doubt that Dembele brings something different to the team when he’s on the pitch. With just a few weeks to go before the Champions League final, everybody associated with the French club will be hoping that the forward is in a condition to start the game.