Paris Saint-Germain suffered a major injury as Ousmane Dembele was sent off injured 13 days before the Champions League final against Arsenal.
Ousmane Dembélé (left) caused an injury worry for Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal (Image: (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images))
Ousmane Dembélé was forced off with an injury just 27 minutes into Paris Saint-Germain’s final Ligue 1 match against Paris FC.
He went straight down the tunnel after being replaced by Gonzalo Ramos after the half-hour mark. Arsenal are due to play Luis Enrique’s side in the Champions League final in two weeks.
Initial reports in France said his substitution was merely a precautionary measure, but the full severity of the injury is unknown at this time.
Dembélé was part of a strong PSG starting line-up against Paris FC on Sunday, where he was used as a striker alongside Juvica Kvaratschelia, Vicinha and Marquinhos. The former and Bradley Barcola were sent off just before the end of the 60th minute, and PSG lost 2-1 despite already having won the title.
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Dembele has been plagued by minor injuries throughout this season, and it will be a big blow for Enrique not to be able to play in the Champions League final in full condition following his three goals in the previous match.
Other PSG players, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho, are all injured, but there is optimism that all three will be available for the game against Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta is hopeful of Julian Timber’s return following an issue that has kept him sidelined for the past two months.
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In an update on the Dutchman, Arteta said: “He’s made a little bit of progress in the last few days… We’ll try to get him fit and ready as soon as possible. We’ll see.”
“Obviously, unfortunately, he’s been out for a while. He’s a very important player for us and he’s doing everything he can to help the team in whatever capacity.”
Arsenal’s main focus remains the Premier League title, with a match against Burnley at the Emirates Stadium scheduled for Monday night.
Mikel Arteta prepares Arsenal players in training for the Premier League match against Burnley (Image: Arsenal FC, via Getty Images)
The fixture would normally be the last of the weekend, but Manchester City have remained in action since then for the FA Cup final against Chelsea, which they claimed would secure them a showdown with Arsenal in the Community Shield.
The victory will put immense pressure on Josep Guardiola’s side ahead of their departure to Bournemouth on Tuesday, effectively sealing Arsenal’s title if they fail to reach the three points.
On the final day, the Gunners will travel to Crystal Palace, while City will host Aston Villa. Both opponents have European finals on either side of these matches.
For Unai Emery’s Villa, they face Freiburg in the Europa League next Wednesday, while the Eagles face Rayo Vallecano following Arsenal’s visit.
