PSG Blames France NT For Rash Handling Of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue Injuries

Last Updated:September 08, 2025, 13:17 IST

PSG criticizes France’s medical staff after Dembele and Doué are injured vs Ukraine, urging better coordination with the French Football Federation.

Ousmane Dembele grimacing with pain while representing France (X)

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has strongly criticised France’s medical staff after Ousmane Dembele and Désiré Doué sustained injuries during Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, claiming its recommendations on player workload and risks were ignored.

Dembele is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks with a left hamstring injury, while Doué will miss four weeks after suffering a calf problem in France’s 2–0 victory in Wroclaw, Poland.

Both setbacks come as blows to PSG, who said the national team had been warned in advance about the players’ condition.

PSG Calls for Reform

On Sunday, the European champions released a statement confirming they had written to the French Football Federation (FFF), calling for a “more transparent and collaborative medical-sporting coordination protocol between clubs and the national team."

“(PSG) had sent the federation concrete medical information, even before the French national team began training, on the acceptable workload and injury risks for its players," the statement read.

“The club regrets that these medical recommendations were not taken into account by the French national team’s medical staff and that there was a total lack of consultation with its medical teams."

PSG added that all exchanges between clubs and the FFF should be formally documented, with a “precautionary principle" applied when selecting players carrying existing conditions. “The recent serious and avoidable events must give rise to rapid and immediate corrective measures," the club insisted.

Deschamps Defends His Decisions

France head coach Didier Deschamps defended his decision to play Dembele, insisting the forward was fit despite recent issues.

Dembele had been substituted in PSG’s Ligue 1 match against Toulouse on August 30 with discomfort in his right hamstring.

“I was sure that he was capable of playing a high-level match, otherwise, I would not have played him. This time, it’s the other thigh," Deschamps explained. “He was fit. It is unfortunate for him but could have happened to another player."

(with Reuters inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

News sports PSG Blames France NT For Rash Handling Of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue Injuries

Read More