Injured for three weeks, Dembélé at the heart of fresh PSG-France clash

Ousmane Dembélé was injured in the 20th minute of PSG’s 4-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona, and his absence is expected to stretch over three weeks. The timing could hardly be worse: his expected return is around November 11, right in the middle of the next France international break.

Zinédine Zidane, appointed France manager on July 28 to replace Didier Deschamps, is preparing his second squad gathering after an encouraging October — three wins and a draw. France face Italy on November 12, then Turkey on November 15. Dembélé’s presence therefore remains highly uncertain, and Zidane’s decision will be announced on November 6 at 6 p.m. when the squad list is revealed.

PSG could prove reluctant to see their attacker return to international competition after such a lengthy absence. This type of friction is not unprecedented: last season, the Paris club and Didier Deschamps’ staff clashed over Dembélé’s injury, which occurred during Ukraine’s match against France when the player had arrived at the national team camp in a diminished state.

Since Zidane’s arrival, relations between the Federation and clubs have evolved: international players are no longer required to have their injuries assessed at Clairefontaine at the start of the gathering. A relaxation that is not enough to erase the central question — calling up Dembélé at the last minute represents a medical and sporting risk that the manager will have to decide on.