PSG's Ousmane Dembele Misses Strasbourg Match But Eyes Return For Arsenal Clash

Add as a preferred source on Google

Ousmane Dembele will not be part of Paris Saint-Germain's squad for their upcoming match against Strasbourg. Luis Enrique hopes to have him back for the Champions League semi-final second leg. Dembele scored in PSG's 1-0 victory over Arsenal but was substituted due to a hamstring injury in the 70th minute. His performance this season has been impressive, with 43 goal involvements across all competitions.

PSG recently secured the Ligue 1 title and are set to play Strasbourg at Stade de la Meinau on Saturday. The team aims to maintain their unbeaten away record. Despite Dembele's absence, PSG confirmed his recovery is progressing well, with further evaluations planned soon. "Tomorrow he won't play, that's for sure," Luis Enrique stated, while not revealing if he plans to rotate his squad.

The Parisians could extend their unbeaten away streak in Ligue 1 to 40 matches, having won 30 and drawn nine so far. This would surpass the combined longest runs by other French teams: Lyon (21 matches), St Etienne (18 matches), and Marseille (18 matches). However, Luis Enrique is not focused on this record, prioritising upcoming crucial fixtures instead.

PSG missed the chance to finish the league season unbeaten after a 3-1 loss to Nice. They haven't lost consecutive Ligue 1 games since April 2023. "We're going to do what we've been doing up to now, with the same idea," said Enrique, emphasising consistency in their approach despite securing the title.

Luis Enrique's attention is firmly on PSG's second leg against Arsenal and the Coupe de France final against Reims. "It's a match we're preparing for in the Champions League, in the Coupe de France, not for the unbeaten record," he explained. Winning at Strasbourg would be beneficial but is not their primary motivation.

PSG have faced challenges in recent Champions League knockout stages but aim to reach the final again as they pursue a treble. "We want to achieve this objective of playing this final," said Enrique, who previously won a treble with Barcelona. Managing rest and preparation is crucial as they navigate these important fixtures.

"There is not much time to rest; you have to manage all of this," Enrique noted about balancing multiple competitions. He acknowledged that being a top-level coach involves making strategic decisions under pressure. His experience at Barcelona has prepared him for such challenges as PSG seeks success on multiple fronts.