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Julien Laurens, CorrespondentSep 30, 2024, 06:33 AM ET
Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé has not travelled to London for his team’s game against Arsenal in the Champions League after a row with head coach Luis Enrique, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
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Dembélé has been dropped by Luis Enrique after the pair argued on Saturday, a day after their 3-1 win over Rennes. The club is in support of the coach’s decision, sources told ESPN, and Dembélé was left off the squad list shared on the club’s official social media channels.
The Spanish coach addressed his decision during his news conference on Monday.
“If someone doesn’t meet the requirements of the team, it means in my opinion that they are not ready,” he said.
“It means in such an important week, with such an important game coming up, we need every player to be fully available, and if they are not meeting expectations, there are no issues.
“It is my job to do the best for the team and that was my decision.”
Ousmane Dembélé has been left out of PSG’s squad for their Champions League clash at Arsenal. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
Luis Enrique later said he had no argument with the player and he did not want “to make a soap opera” out of the incident, but added that “there is a problem of commitment of the player towards the team.”
France international Dembélé has made an excellent start to the Ligue 1 season, scoring four goals and providing four assists in six games with PSG top of the division.
Luis Enrique has previously emphasised the importance of discipline to his players. Last season, he chose to travel to Toulouse without Kylian Mbappé and Dembélé because they hadn’t worked enough in training.
Arsenal host PSG at the Emirates on Tuesday in the second round of the revamped Champions League league phase. PSG won their opener against Girona at home, while Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by Atalanta in Bergamo, Italy.
