Ousmane Dembele was taken off early against Paris FC and then missed training, but insists he will be ready for the final on 30 May.
Ousmane Dembele believes he’ll be fit for the Champions League final against Arsenal, despite his recent injury setback with Paris Saint-Germain.
Dembele was withdrawn in the first half an hour of PSG’s final Ligue 1 game against Paris FC, raising concerns of an injury setback that could rule him out of the Champions League final.
Luis Enrique played those chances down at the time, saying: “We’ll have to wait until [Monday] to know exactly, but I think it’s just fatigue. What we’re saying today is just speculation, but I don’t think it’s [a] complicated [injury] and there are still two weeks left.”
But there were further concerns when Dembele was absent from PSG’s next training session.
Dembele has now spoken out to calm PSG fan nerves, confirming that he still expects to play in the Champions League final against Arsenal.
“I’m doing very well,” Dembele said.
“I had a slight scare against Paris FC, but I’m fine and I’ll be ready for the final. Will I be 100 per cent for the final? Yes, I think so. Yes, I’ll be ready. I have no doubt about it. I hope to be on the pitch on May 30th.
“I’ve had so many minor scares or major injuries in my career, whether here at PSG or even before, especially with the big matches coming up, especially this final, I preferred to stop and above all not take any risks.”
Dembele failing to complete 90 minutes for PSG is a common sight in Ligue 1 this season. He’s missed 12 games completely, coming on as a substitute 11 times, and starting on a further 11 occasions – but only completing the full match in one of those 11 starts.
By contrast, Dembele has started 10 of 16 Champions League games, completing four full 90s.
Once again, it looks like the winger has successfully avoided straining himself in a league match so he can arrive for a European fixture with something left in the tank.
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