PSG have decided to give Ousmane Dembélé several days of rest. The Paris forward will not take part in the upcoming team training sessions and will therefore miss Friday’s trip to Lille. He is expected to return to training on Monday.
Did Ousmane Dembélé return from his holidays too soon? The answer appears to be yes. PSG have decided to send the Ballon d’Or winner back on a break — and not just for a couple of days. He will have a full week off even though the Ligue 1 season has only just resumed. Paris officially confirmed that the decision was made together with Luis Enrique and the sporting management to allow the player to recover before the schedule intensifies.
Dembélé ruled out of the Lille trip
“In agreement with the coach and the sporting management, Ousmane Dembélé will benefit from a period of rest over the coming days. He will return to training on Monday with the rest of the squad,” PSG announced. The immediate consequence is that Dembélé will not travel to northern France, forcing Luis Enrique to rethink his attacking setup just days after the draw against Rennes. Dembélé started that match but was substituted at half-time, along with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Ferran Torres then came on, scored twice and rescued a point for Paris.
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PSG’s decision can also be explained by Dembélé’s unusual preparation. The forward returned later than most of his teammates and did not complete a standard summer pre-season after several extremely demanding months. The Paris coaching staff have therefore chosen to give him a genuine recovery period. However, the timing has inevitably raised questions, coming immediately after his substitution against Rennes and Luis Enrique’s strong comments about competition for places and the standards expected this season.
The PSG coach has stressed that no player can consider himself guaranteed a place in the starting XI, with every position having to be earned in training and matches. Even so, PSG have never described Dembélé’s absence as a punishment. The club insists it is simply a mutually agreed period of rest. Dembélé is expected back with his teammates on Monday and should then resume normal preparations for the club’s upcoming fixtures.
