Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that winger Ousmane Dembele has suffered a hamstring strain, putting his availability for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal in serious doubt.
The 26-year-old was the match-winner at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, scoring the decisive goal inside the opening four minutes to hand PSG a narrow 1–0 first-leg lead. However, Dembele was withdrawn in the second half and has yet to return to full training.
PSG release injury update
In an official medical statement released Friday morning, PSG said:
“Ousmane Dembélé has strained his right hamstring. His condition is progressing well. A further assessment will be carried out shortly.”
While the club remains cautiously optimistic, manager Luis Enrique confirmed that Dembele will miss this weekend’s Ligue 1 game against Strasbourg.
“He won’t play, that’s for sure. It’s not serious, it’s something very minor, but he’s probably a doubt for the second leg,” Enrique stated. We’ll try to get Ousmane back, but if he doesn’t play, we’re still a real team. We’ve said that since the beginning of the season.”
What it means for Arsenal
Dembele’s absence could be significant.
The French winger has been in exceptional form, registering 33 goal contributions across all competitions this season — including 11 in the Champions League alone. In 2025, no player across Europe’s top five leagues has more goal involvements than Dembele.
His pace, directness, and dribbling were central to PSG’s threat on the counter at the Emirates. If he is sidelined for the return leg at the Parc des Princes, it would drastically alter PSG’s attacking setup — and potentially tilt the momentum back in Mikel Arteta’s favour.
Arsenal, meanwhile, host Bournemouth this weekend in a must-win Premier League clash as they continue their pursuit of a domestic top-two finish. Arteta is expected to rotate key players ahead of next Wednesday’s European showdown.
Dembele downplays concern
Speaking after the game on Tuesday, Dembele attempted to reassure fans:
“I felt a little something, but it’s okay,” he told L’Équipe.
However, with the clock ticking and limited recovery time ahead of the decisive second leg, the chances of Dembele featuring from the start appear slim — a potential boost for an Arsenal side looking to turn the tie around and reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
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