Ousmane Dembélé Continues to Complain About Hamstring Pain; 99.9% Likely to Be a Sub Against Bayern + May Skip National Team Call-Up

Since the match against Lorient, Ousmane Dembélé has been troubled by a right thigh injury again. After the match against Nice on Saturday night, he complained of physical discomfort once more.
Following Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)’s 1-0 victory over Nice on Saturday night, footage captured by Ligue 1+ cameras was worrying. As Dembélé walked toward the Auteuil Stand to greet fans, he turned to Ashraf Hakimi on his left, clutched his right thigh, and shouted: “My hamstring hurts, it’s killing me.”

Under Hakimi’s concerned gaze, the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner quickened his pace. He was about to jump to greet PSG fans but stopped midway. The two continued talking as they left the Parc des Princes, with the French player still touching his thigh and doing some stretches to relieve the pain.

Dembélé was injured during France’s 2-0 win over Ukraine on September 5 and missed nearly seven weeks of action. Has his injury recurred? Sources from PSG have insisted “no.”

On Sunday morning—one day after the team won the 11th round of Ligue 1—the French player participated in light, regular training at PSG’s training base in Poissy.

After the 1-1 draw against Lorient last Wednesday, the 28-year-old immediately informed the medical staff and coaching team that he felt pain in his right hamstring again. Upon returning to the training ground, the club conducted checks, which showed no additional injuries. However, Dembélé still felt unwell, so Luis Enrique decided not to start him in Saturday night’s match.

In this case, can he start against Bayern Munich? While internal sources have not given a definitive answer, they have stated in recent hours that the forward’s chances of starting are almost zero. Luis Enrique will not take risks. The Spanish coach knows better than anyone that although the match against Bayern Munich is highly anticipated, it is not decisive for PSG’s fate this season.

We also need to pay attention to the final 2025 squad that Didier Deschamps will announce on Thursday—a squad that will determine whether France qualifies for the World Cup. If Dembélé fails to start on Tuesday, can he be called up without further escalating the already tense relationship between PSG and the French Football Federation?