Ousmane Dembele has been left out of the Paris Saint-Germain squad for their important Champions League match against Arsenal following a heated exchange with head coach Luis Enrique.
The 27-year-old forward has been a standout performer for PSG this season, scoring four goals and providing four assists in six Ligue 1 matches. Despite the team’s victory over Rennes, Dembele expressed frustration after being substituted with just eight minutes remaining.
Reports indicate that following the match, Enrique criticized Dembele’s performance and was dissatisfied with the player’s response, resulting in a confrontation.
Later that day, Enrique confirmed that the French international, viewed as a key player post-Kylian Mbappe, would not travel to London. He stated, “If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. The match tomorrow is very important, and I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him (Dembele) out. I want the best for my team, and that is my job.”
When asked for details about the argument, Enrique said, “I am very honest, and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this. There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.”
While PSG began their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Girona, they face a tougher challenge against Arsenal, especially with Dembele missing. The team is also likely to be without Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Asensio, and Desire Doue due to doubts, alongside long-term absentees Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez, and Goncalo Ramos.
On the other hand, Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta is still without captain Martin Odegaard and new signing Mikel Merino but is hopeful about having Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori available for the match.
