Dembele limps off with hamstring injury as PSG host Barcelona in Champions League

Ousmane Dembele suffered a hamstring injury and was withdrawn after 19 minutes of PSG’s Champions League tie against Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, casting a shadow over the hosts’ first-half lead.

The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner signalled to the bench while holding the back of his left thigh, before going to ground and prompting PSG manager Luis Enrique to act immediately. Ferran Torres, the Spain World Cup winner who joined PSG from Barcelona in the summer, came on as his replacement.

The injury will concern both club and player. Dembele, 29, has been central to PSG’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs, with Enrique deliberately limiting his Ligue 1 minutes to keep him fresh — he had already been rested twice this season. Yet a long history of muscular problems, which dogged his six years at Barcelona, means this latest setback carries obvious concern.

Barcelona were not unscathed either. Dani Olmo was also forced off in the first half after having his ankle trodden on, compounding a difficult evening for the visitors.

Despite losing their key attacker, PSG went into the break ahead. Désiré Doué struck a brilliant effort in the 38th minute to give the hosts the lead and put Barcelona’s 100 per cent start to the new Champions League campaign under threat.