Ousmane Dembele Misses PSG's Champions League Match Against Athletic Club Due To Illness

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Paris Saint-Germain have announced that Ousmane Dembele, the Ballon d'Or winner, will not participate in their Champions League match against Athletic Club on Wednesday due to illness. Additionally, Lucas Chevalier, Lucas Beraldo, and Achraf Hakimi are unavailable for the trip to Estadio de San Mames because of injuries.

Dembele's absence is a setback for PSG, as he has been a key player this season despite limited appearances. The Frenchman has played only 16 matches across all competitions but has contributed significantly with five goals and four assists. Only Joao Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Vitinha have more goal involvements for PSG.

Lucas Chevalier will also miss the match after injuring his ankle in a tackle by Lamine Camara during a game against Monaco. This injury means Matvei Safonov is expected to start as goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Achraf Hakimi is working hard to recover in time for Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations campaign after sustaining an ankle injury against Bayern Munich.

Despite these setbacks, Desire Doue has recovered from a thigh injury and will be part of PSG's squad traveling to Spain. The team currently sits second in the 36-team league standings with 12 points from five games.

PSG have shown strong form in European competitions recently. They have won their last three away games against Spanish teams in major European tournaments. This is as many victories as they achieved in their previous 13 away matches against Spanish sides combined (three wins, two draws, eight losses).

Dembele had previously missed domestic matches against Lyon and Le Havre due to a calf injury. He returned to action during PSG's 5-3 victory over Tottenham in the Champions League but played only 12 minutes. He also made substitute appearances in their loss to Monaco and their 5-0 win over Rennes in Ligue 1.

The absence of key players like Dembele could impact PSG's performance, but the team remains optimistic about maintaining their position in the automatic qualification spots for the league.