Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is undergoing treatment for a right calf muscle problem, sparking concerns over his availability for the Champions League final against Arsenal later this month. The French champions confirmed on Monday that the 29-year-old France international is receiving care for discomfort after he was forced off following just 27 minutes of PSG's 2-1 defeat to Paris FC on Sunday, the final day of the Ligue 1 season.
Coach Luis Enrique initially attributed the substitution to fatigue, but the club later clarified that Dembele was removed as a precautionary measure. The defending European champions are scheduled to face Arsenal in the Champions League final on 30 May at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Dembele has been instrumental in PSG's European campaign, notably scoring an early goal in the semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, which secured a 1-1 draw and a 6-5 aggregate victory.
Despite an injury-disrupted first half of the season, Dembele still managed 10 goals and seven assists in 22 league appearances, having won the Ballon d'Or and scored 21 goals last season. His fitness will also be closely monitored by France national team manager Didier Deschamps ahead of next month's World Cup. Dembele was named in Deschamps' squad last week and is expected to play a key role alongside Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, and PSG teammate Desire Doue.
France are considered among the favourites for the tournament after strong performances in recent World Cups. They won the World Cup for the second time in 2018, defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final. Four years ago, they reached the final again, but lost to Argentina on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw that saw Mbappe score a hat-trick and Lionel Messi net twice. France will begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal on 16 June.
