- Dembele and Doue both injured in فرنسا‘s outing
- PSG furious over lack of coordination
- Deschamps says he too faces the repercussions
The French وطني team’s كأس العالم qualifying victory over Ukraine came at a heavy cost with muscle injuries to two key players, Dembele and Doue. Both players were forced to come off the field. Dembele, who entered as a second-half substitute, lasted just over 30 minutes before leaving with a hamstring injury, while Doue, who started, was sidelined at half-time with a calf strain. These injuries have not only impacted the French squad but have ignited a heated conflict between the French Football Federation (FFF) and PSG, the players’ club.
In a pre-match conference, Deschamps publicly addressed the situation while expressing his frustration with the outcome and sympathy for the players’ plight.
“What happened is what happened,” he said. “I’m especially disappointed for Ousmane and Desire because we’re losing two players for tomorrow’s match. We did things in a very professional, progressive way, as we do for all players, taking into account the players’ feelings. To avoid any questions about this, PSG is not our opponent, even if we have diverging interests. The protocol: all players are supposed to register their injury at Clairefontaine. From the moment that’s not possible, it’s not possible.”
PSG issued a strongly worded statement, accusing the national team of causing “serious and avoidable” injuries by ignoring detailed medical assessments and recommendations sent by the club. The club are furious over what they described as a “total lack of consultation” with their own medical staff. The stakes are high for PSG, as Dembele is expected to be out for up to six weeks and Doue for four. Both players will miss crucial upcoming matches, including PSG’s دوري أبطال أوروبا مباراة ضد برشلونة on October 1.
Deschamps has decided to call-up Kingsley Coman as a replacement for Dembele and will play him in their upcoming fixture against أيسلندا on September 10.
