Luis Enrique Explains Ousmane Dembele’s Absence for PSG’s Upcoming Match
PSG manager Luis Enrique has clarified his decision to exclude Ousmane Dembele from the squad for the team’s upcoming match against Lille, emphasizing the importance of allowing the player to recharge. Dembele will take a week off from training and will not participate in tomorrow’s fixture, with plans to return on Monday for regular training.
The decision comes after Dembele’s strenuous summer, which included significant efforts to be fit for the UEFA SuperCup final despite his holiday. Enrique made the choice to prioritize the forward’s rest and recovery, stating, “I am a big admirer of Ousmane Dembélé. He’s an essential player for us. He made a huge effort this summer to be ready.”
Following a recent match against Rennes, where Dembele was substituted at halftime, Enrique reinforced that the absence is not a form of punishment but rather a strategic move to ensure the player’s long-term availability. “There’s nothing important about this decision. My players are used to my methods,” he added.
In other transfer news, Bradley Barcola’s move to Liverpool has been confirmed, with the fee potentially rising to €140 million, according to sports journalist Fabrizio Romano. As PSG navigates these developments, the focus remains on preparing for their Ligue 1 match without one of their key attackers.
Luis Enrique has defended his decision to leave out Ousmane Dembele, claiming that it’s simply a question of keeping him fresh.
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PSG face Lille tomorrow night in a juicy weekend opening fixture in Ligue 1, but one star won’t be present.
Ousmane Dembele was given the week off training by Luis Enrique, and won’t be in the squad tomorrow either. He will report back on Monday as usual, after a few days to rest physically and mentally.
Dembele gets a week off after busy summer
Ousmane Dembele playing for PSG. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Manager Luis Enrique took Dembele off at half time of the weekend’s draw with Rennes, and clearly feels the France star is still fatigued after a busy summer at the World Cup.
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In his presser today, the coach insisted this wasn’t a punishment or anything negative, just a break to help his star attacker out:
“I am a big admirer of Ousmane Dembélé, I repeat that. He’s an essential player for us. He made a huge effort this summer to be ready and present for the UEFA SuperCup final during his vacation,” Lucho said.
“He is, was and will be an essential player for us. We made a good decision this week, There’s nothing important. Every time we make a these decisions there’s noise around PSG, but there’s nothing to it. My players are used to my methods.”
In other news…
Bradley Barcola’s move to Liverpool for a fee rising to €140m has been given the “here we go” by Fabrizio Romano.
PSG have decided to leave Ousmane Dembele at home for tomorrow’s game, giving the France striker a few days off training after a long, exhausting summer for him.
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