Ousmane Dembele injured again: Ballon d'Or winner forced off early in PSG's clash with Bayern Munich as bad fortune continues
Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele has picked up another injury and was forced off early in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. The French winger, who was crowned the best male player in the world only weeks ago, lasted barely 25 minutes before limping off in visible distress, just moments after seeing what he thought was an equaliser ruled out by VAR.In the 23rd minute, Dembele thought he had given PSG hope. A lofted cross from Achraf Hakimi was met by the 28-year-old’s chest before he poked it into the Bayern net. But celebrations turned to disappointment within seconds as VAR intervened. After a lengthy review, the replays showed Dembele had strayed fractionally offside in the build-up. The goal was chalked off, and Bayern’s lead, earned earlier through Luis Díaz’s tidy finish, remained intact, as the mood inside the stadium turned sour. Only two minutes later, the situation worsened as Demele, grimacing and clutching his thigh, signalled to the bench. Luis Enrique immediately called for a substitution, replacing him with Bradley Barcola. He strode straight down the tunnel, visibly frustrated, as the Parc des Princes fell into a stunned silence.For PSG fans, this was a painful case of deja vu as just days earlier, Dembele had sparked injury fears during PSG’s 1-0 league win over OGC Nice. Having come off the bench in that game, cameras caught the winger in conversation with Achraf Hakimi during stoppage time, clearly distressed. "It hurts, it hurts so bad," he was caught saying as he pointed to his right hamstring. "I'm hurting in my hamstring...I’m hurting too much." The comments immediately set alarm bells ringing in Paris. Dembele has battled hamstring problems throughout his career, right from his Barcelona days, and it appeared another setback was looming just as he was rediscovering top form.PSG manager Luis Enrique had tried to ease fears before the Bayern clash, insisting that his star man was "fully fit". He said: “There’s no risk, he’s fully fit. He’s completed all training sessions over the last two weeks and played the last two matches. His physical condition is improving.”But within half an hour, that optimism crumbled. Dembele's sprint down the tunnel told its story of frustration and a player who knows his body all too well. It was his fourth appearance since recovering from the hamstring injury suffered while on international duty with France in September, but now there’s genuine concern that the Ballon d’Or winner faces yet another long spell on the sidelines. Speaking to Canal+ after the match, Luis Enrique said: "I don't know. I think it has nothing to do with the previous injury. It's something new. We need to be very careful, we're looking to improve the players' condition."With Dembele gone, PSG’s attacking spark dimmed. Bayern, ruthless as ever, wasted little time pressing their advantage. Diaz doubled his tally seven minutes later, punishing a disjointed PSG backline with a thunderous strike. However, just before half-time, Diaz launched into a reckless tackle on Hakimi, catching the Moroccan full-back’s ankle with a high, late challenge from behind. Hakimi screamed in agony, rolling on the turf as medics rushed in. Referee Maurizio Mariani initially showed a yellow card but was summoned to the monitor. After reviewing the tackle, the official had no choice but to brandish a straight red. He was carried off, tears streaming down his face, as team-mates gathered around him. The timing could not be worse with Hakimi expected to captain Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations next month on home soil. Now, it remains to be seen if the injury rules him out of the tournament, which will be a devastating blow for the country.With Hakimi injured, Dembele out, and tempers fraying, Paris looked like a team unravelling. By full-time, PSG’s night had gone from frustrating to disastrous. Joao Neves managed to pull one back in the 74th minute, but Bayern held firm to seal a 2-1 victory. For Luis Enrique, the defeat is about more than lost points, as it’s about mounting injuries that plague the reigning champions. Vincent Kompany’s side now sit firmly at the summit of the Champions League group stage table with 12 points from four matches. They must already have their eyes on the next challenge, which is a heavyweight clash against Arsenal at the Emirates on November 26. It will be a titanic clash with the top two going at each other for top spot.
Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele has picked up another injury and was forced off early in Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. The French winger, who was crowned the best male player in the world only weeks ago, lasted barely 25 minutes before limping off in visible distress, just moments after seeing what he thought was an equaliser ruled out by VAR.In the 23rd minute, Dembele thought he had given PSG hope. A lofted cross from Achraf Hakimi was met by the 28-year-old’s chest before he poked it into the Bayern net. But celebrations turned to disappointment within seconds as VAR intervened. After a lengthy review, the replays showed Dembele had strayed fractionally offside in the build-up. The goal was chalked off, and Bayern’s lead, earned earlier through Luis Díaz’s tidy finish, remained intact, as the mood inside the stadium turned sour. Only two minutes later, the situation worsened as Demele, grimacing and clutching his thigh, signalled to the bench. Luis Enrique immediately called for a substitution, replacing him with Bradley Barcola. He strode straight down the tunnel, visibly frustrated, as the Parc des Princes fell into a stunned silence.For PSG fans, this was a painful case of deja vu as just days earlier, Dembele had sparked injury fears during PSG’s 1-0 league win over OGC Nice. Having come off the bench in that game, cameras caught the winger in conversation with Achraf Hakimi during stoppage time, clearly distressed. "It hurts, it hurts so bad," he was caught saying as he pointed to his right hamstring. "I'm hurting in my hamstring...I’m hurting too much." The comments immediately set alarm bells ringing in Paris. Dembele has battled hamstring problems throughout his career, right from his Barcelona days, and it appeared another setback was looming just as he was rediscovering top form.PSG manager Luis Enrique had tried to ease fears before the Bayern clash, insisting that his star man was "fully fit". He said: “There’s no risk, he’s fully fit. He’s completed all training sessions over the last two weeks and played the last two matches. His physical condition is improving.”But within half an hour, that optimism crumbled. Dembele's sprint down the tunnel told its story of frustration and a player who knows his body all too well. It was his fourth appearance since recovering from the hamstring injury suffered while on international duty with France in September, but now there’s genuine concern that the Ballon d’Or winner faces yet another long spell on the sidelines. Speaking to Canal+ after the match, Luis Enrique said: "I don't know. I think it has nothing to do with the previous injury. It's something new. We need to be very careful, we're looking to improve the players' condition."With Dembele gone, PSG’s attacking spark dimmed. Bayern, ruthless as ever, wasted little time pressing their advantage. Diaz doubled his tally seven minutes later, punishing a disjointed PSG backline with a thunderous strike. However, just before half-time, Diaz launched into a reckless tackle on Hakimi, catching the Moroccan full-back’s ankle with a high, late challenge from behind. Hakimi screamed in agony, rolling on the turf as medics rushed in. Referee Maurizio Mariani initially showed a yellow card but was summoned to the monitor. After reviewing the tackle, the official had no choice but to brandish a straight red. He was carried off, tears streaming down his face, as team-mates gathered around him. The timing could not be worse with Hakimi expected to captain Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations next month on home soil. Now, it remains to be seen if the injury rules him out of the tournament, which will be a devastating blow for the country.With Hakimi injured, Dembele out, and tempers fraying, Paris looked like a team unravelling. By full-time, PSG’s night had gone from frustrating to disastrous. Joao Neves managed to pull one back in the 74th minute, but Bayern held firm to seal a 2-1 victory. For Luis Enrique, the defeat is about more than lost points, as it’s about mounting injuries that plague the reigning champions. Vincent Kompany’s side now sit firmly at the summit of the Champions League group stage table with 12 points from four matches. They must already have their eyes on the next challenge, which is a heavyweight clash against Arsenal at the Emirates on November 26. It will be a titanic clash with the top two going at each other for top spot.
