Ousmane Dembélé’s Injury Concerns Amidst PSG’s Champions League Comeback

omidbasir- Ousmane Dembélé, the forward for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), faced another challenging moment in what has been a difficult season when he left the field due to an apparent injury during the first half of the Champions League playoff against Monaco on Tuesday.

Désiré Doué replaced Dembélé and made a significant impact, scoring twice and contributing to another goal, helping PSG secure a 3-2 lead going into the return leg next Wednesday in Paris.

Dembélé had been a doubt for the match due to a leg issue and exited the game in the 26th minute at Stade Louis II. The Ballon d’Or winner has been plagued by injuries throughout the season. Television footage prior to his substitution showed him rubbing the back of his left calf and adjusting his sock, indicating discomfort.

Coach Luis Enrique clarified that he did not take any risks in starting Dembélé, who was PSG’s top scorer last season with 35 goals. “We know the physical condition of each player. There was no risk; he trained normally,” said Luis Enrique. “We will need to assess the injury. He sustained a knock in the first 15 minutes and then was unable to run.”

At the time of Dembélé’s exit, PSG was trailing 2-0, but they managed to level the score at 2-2 by halftime.

Earlier in the season, Dembélé had already faced injury issues while playing for France and experienced a similar situation when he was substituted in the first half against Bayern Munich in November. His injury struggles also extended back to his previous club, Barcelona.

Doué rapidly made his mark, scoring two minutes after entering the game with a precise low shot into the bottom right corner, celebrating by cupping his hands over his ears, seemingly dismissing recent criticism of his performances. “The coach makes his choices. It’s always a collective effort, whether we win or lose,” Doué remarked. “The most important thing is to secure a victory in games like this.”

Before the match, Luis Enrique had expressed disappointment with some of his star players following PSG’s fall from the top position in Ligue 1 after a loss to Rennes on Friday.

Doué was also instrumental in PSG’s equalizer just before halftime. His initial shot was parried by goalkeeper Philipp Köhn, allowing right back Achraf Hakimi to score with a low shot into the bottom left corner.

Doué completed his brace in the 67th minute, receiving a pass from Warren Zaïre-Emery at the edge of the penalty area and directing a low shot into the right corner.

Köhn had made a crucial save to deny Vitinha’s penalty kick in the 22nd minute, while Monaco’s Aleksandr Golovin received a red card for a reckless foul on Vitinha earlier in the first half.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.