With doubts about his fitness for the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal, PSG coach Luis Enrique has delivered an injury update regarding Ousmane Dembele.
Paris Saint-Germain are set to host Arsenal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal, but questions remain about the fitness of star winger Ousmane Dembele. Just 24 hours before kickoff, head coach Luis Enrique provided an encouraging update on the French international.
In the first leg, PSG secured a valuable 1–0 win at the Emirates Stadium, with Dembele opening the scoring in the 4th minute. However, concerns grew when he was forced to leave the match in the 70th minute due to an apparent injury, replaced by Bradley Barcola.
During his pre-match press conference, Enrique addressed Dembele’s condition with optimism. “Ousmane Dembele has trained these past two days and will be available tomorrow,” the coach confirmed, signaling the winger’s likely return to action on Wednesday.
The Spanish coach emphasized the need for a strong performance, but with a 1–0 lead on the scoreboard, he hinted at a tactical shift against Arsenal: “We’ll need to play as well as we did last week, but while many expect a similar match, I can guarantee it will be completely different.”
The injury was later reported to be a mild hamstring strain, which sidelined Dembele for PSG’s weekend match against Strasbourg. His availability comes as a major boost for the French giants, as the forward has played a pivotal role in their European campaign—recording 8 goals and 3 assists in 13 Champions League appearances this season.
Dembele’s stellar 2025 with PSG
PSG have found their form in the Champions League after a shaky group stage, and much of their 2025 resurgence has been fueled by Dembele’s impressive performances.
Since the start of the calendar year, Dembele has made 25 appearances across all competitions, contributing directly to 30 goals (25 goals and 5 assists)—the highest tally of any player in Europe over that span. Trailing him is Barcelona’s Raphinha, who has been involved in 27 goals (13 goals and 14 assists). The two could potentially meet in the final, should both sides advance.
