Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele won the Super Cup against Spurs in August

PSG Slam France Over Dembele and Doue Injury Mismanagement

PSG Blame France Team for ‘Avoidable’ Injuries to Dembele and Doue

Paris Saint-Germain have launched a scathing attack on the French national team’s medical staff, blaming them for what the club called “avoidable injuries” to Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue during France’s World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine.

Injury Blow Before Champions League Campaign

PSG confirmed that Dembele will be out for six weeks with a serious hamstring issue, while Doue will miss approximately four weeks.

These setbacks rule both players out of critical upcoming matches, including the Champions League opener against Atalanta on 17 September and the high-profile clash with Barcelona on 1 October.

PSG: “Warnings Were Ignored”

In a strongly worded official statement, PSG revealed they had provided France’s staff with detailed medical advice before the international break began.

“Concrete medical information was sent even before training began,” the club noted, emphasizing known risks and recommended workload limits for both players.

“The club regrets that these medical recommendations were not taken into account,” the statement continued. “There was a total lack of consultation.”

PSG are now demanding a more transparent and collaborative medical protocol, suggesting that club-national coordination must improve urgently to protect players’ health.

Match Incident Summary

Doue started against Ukraine but was forced off with injury at half-time.
Dembele replaced him but was also subbed out in the 81st minute, visibly in discomfort.
PSG later confirmed both were injured, sparking the backlash.

Deschamps Responds: “No Zero Risk”

France coach Didier Deschamps defended his decisions, stating that Dembele was fit to play:

“It’s the other thigh this time. He was capable of playing a high-level match, or I wouldn’t have used him.”

Regarding Doue, Deschamps claimed the player wanted to play despite fitness concerns:

“The desire to play takes precedence over a lot of things… once a player steps onto the pitch, there’s no such thing as zero risk.”

Key Absences for PSG’s Title Defence

Dembele and Doue were instrumental in PSG’s historic treble-winning season (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Champions League), with both stars also making UEFA’s Team of the Tournament.

Doue scored and earned Man of the Match in the 5-0 Champions League final win over Inter Milan.
Dembele is a Ballon d’Or contender, with the ceremony on 21 September now likely to be impacted by his absence.