Paris Saint-Germain Hit With Double Injury Blow

European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are facing a major setback after star forwards Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue suffered significant injuries while on international duty with France, leaving both sidelined for weeks at a crucial point in the season.

Dembele, 28, picked up a right hamstring injury during France’s World Cup qualifying victory over Ukraine on Friday and is expected to be out for around six weeks. His teammate Doue, 20, sustained a calf strain in the same match and faces approximately a four-week layoff. The injuries occurred during a match in which Dembele had replaced the already-injured Doue at halftime, only to be substituted himself in the 81st minute as PSG’s medical woes mounted.

The loss of two pivotal attacking talents means PSG will be without Dembele and Doue for their Champions League opener against Atalanta on September 17, as well as their highly anticipated encounter away to Barcelona on October 1. Both players were instrumental in PSG’s historic treble-winning campaign last season, helping secure the Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Champions League titles.

In the aftermath, PSG issued a strongly worded statement criticizing France’s medical staff for ignoring club warnings about player fitness and workload prior to the international break. The club revealed it had provided medical guidance on the risks facing its athletes but said these recommendations were disregarded, urging for “more transparent and collaborative” coordination between clubs and national teams.

“These recent significant and preventable incidents necessitate swift and immediate corrective actions,” PSG stated, calling for a formalized protocol to ensure documented and reciprocal communication between medical departments. They also emphasized the “precautionary principle” in selecting national team players, highlighting particular risks for those already receiving medical treatment.

France coach Didier Deschamps defended his decision to use Dembele, maintaining that the player was fit and that the injury was unrelated to his earlier hamstring trouble, as it affected the opposite leg. He noted, “There is no such thing as zero risk. If you leave players on the bench, you’re not taking any risks, but I take the player’s feelings into account when deciding to play them.”

Dembele and Doue will miss PSG’s first domestic match after the break and remain major doubts for upcoming European fixtures, intensifying calls for reform in club-country medical management as the club seeks to defend its continental crown.

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