Dembele's calf injury sparks suspense as PSG faces Tottenham. Will their star winger make a crucial comeback, or will others step up?
Definitely without Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi for PSG vs. Tottenham, Luis Enrique will be able to count on Nuno Mendes, who returned against Le Havre last Saturday. And Ousmane Dembele, with two days until the match, the suspense remains.
While Spurs were swept aside 4-1 by Arsenal on Sunday in the North London derby, Luis Enrique's men secured a 3-0 win on Saturday night against Le Havre, solidifying their place at the top of Ligue 1. A match marked by the return from injury of Nuno Mendes, who had suffered a left knee sprain against Bayern Munich last Nov. 4.
That night, Achraf Hakimi also injured his left ankle and will not play for PSG again before 2026 (he is targeting a return for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations on Dec. 21), while Ousmane Dembele, who recently recovered from his hamstring injury, suffered a left calf injury. "Ousmane Dembele has a lesion in his left calf. He will remain in treatment in the coming weeks," PSG wrote last Nov. 5 in its medical update.
Last Friday, on the eve of PSG's match against Le Havre, the club provided an update on its Ballon d'Or winner, assuring that he was in the "final phase of his return." A few minutes later, Dembele took part in the start of the team's collective session, but was not selected the next day to face HAC. On Friday, before the medical update released by the club, Luis Enrique had been questioned about Dembele's condition and his possible presence in the squad against Le Havre.
"I don't know, I'm not a doctor," the Spaniard retorted. "He is improving. Maybe he will start training today (Friday) to do a small part of the session. For this case, I think we must be attentive. I will see how he feels in training and in the coming weeks, it will be time to see Ousmane on the field again."
According to the latest reports from L'Equipe, Dembele's sensations are "positive," but internally, they remain cautious: "He knows his body well. We will see (Monday) and (Tuesday). There are three days left. After that, it will be up to the coach to decide," a PSG source told the sports daily, before adding: "In any case, he is hungry, as always."
After a day off on Sunday, PSG returned to training on Monday, two days before Tottenham's visit. An opportunity for Dembele to test his sensations and guide the thinking of Luis Enrique's staff regarding his selection or not on Wednesday against the Spurs.
The Parisians will train one last time on Tuesday. before the clash with the Londoners the next day. For PSG, the presence or absence of Dembele in the squad is the main uncertainty ahead of this European fixture.