Champions League
Why Paris Saint-Germain Drops Ousmane Dembele For Arsenal Clash
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique is understood to have dropped Ousmane Dembele from his squad to face Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday after a heated clash between the pair.
Dembélé has been in spectacular form this season, boasting four goals and four assists in just six Ligue 1 appearances. Notably, he played a key role in the opening goal during Friday’s 3-1 victory against his former team, Rennes.
However, as first revealed by RMC Sport and subsequently backed up elsewhere, the game ended in frustration as Dembele, who was substituted late on, found himself embroiled in a heated clash with the coach.
Enrique is thought to have been displeased with some of Dembele’s on-field behavior and was not impressed by the Frenchman’s reaction to his feedback, ultimately leading to a heated confrontation between the two.
The PSG boss has since decided to drop Dembele from his traveling squad as punishment, meaning the French side will be without a player who sits second on both their goal and assist charts for the trip to Arsenal.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, left-back Nuno Mendes, and midfielders Vitinha and Desire Doue have.
However, all returned to the group as PSG searches for a second victory in the Champions League, having seen off Girona 1-0 in the opening round of fixtures.