Paris Saint-Germain have received a major boost as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele makes his return to the squad ahead of their Champions League showdown with Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
The French winger had been sidelined for six weeks due to a hamstring injury he picked up while on international duty in early September. He has now been officially listed in PSG’s travelling team to Germany, signaling his readiness for action.
The 28 year old star recently completed rehabilitation at a top clinic in Qatar before rejoining full training with the team. His comeback is a welcome relief for manager Luis Enrique, who has been dealing with a long list of injury concerns this season.
Dembele missed PSG’s dramatic 3-3 draw against Strasbourg last Friday but is expected to feature either starting or coming off the bench as the French champions aim to keep their Champions League unbeaten streak alive.
Leverkusen defender Loic Bade, Dembele’s international teammate, spoke highly of him ahead of the match. “He’s a complete player with so many qualities,” Bade said. “Winning the Ballon d’Or says it all. He’s deadly with both feet and incredibly hard to defend against. The only way to contain him is by staying compact as a team.”
PSG also saw the return of Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in their recent Ligue 1 fixture, but midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves are still sidelined. Captain Marquinhos, who recently recovered from injury, has also travelled with the team to Germany.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand, who took over from Erik ten Hag in September, praised PSG’s aggressive style of play but noted that it could be a double-edged sword. “They’re an excellent team with high energy,” he said. “But we also have our strengths, and we’re ready to prove it. We believe in our system.”
Leverkusen, last season’s Bundesliga champions, have drawn their first two Champions League matches against FC Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven. They now aim for their first group stage victory, while PSG look to continue their perfect European campaign.
