Paris Saint-Germain’s final Ligue 1 match of the season brought an early scare when Ousmane Dembele was forced off with injury after 27 minutes against Paris FC on Sunday.
Dembele was replaced by Goncalo Ramos just before the half-hour mark and headed straight down the tunnel, leaving PSG to finish a 2-1 defeat with another concern hanging over them less than two weeks before the Champions League final against Arsenal.
The France forward had been named as the striker in a strong PSG starting XI that also included Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha and Marquinhos. Bradley Barcola gave PSG the lead, then later came off along with Kvaratskhelia just before the hour mark as the match slipped away.
Dembele’s departure was initially reported in France as precautionary, but the exact extent of the injury was still not known. That uncertainty is what matters most to PSG right now. Minor injuries have interrupted Dembele’s season, even though he scored three goals in the previous round and has been one of Luis Enrique’s key attacking options.
PSG already have other fitness worries ahead of the final. Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho are also carrying injuries, though the hope is that all three will be fit to feature against Arsenal. Luis Enrique has little room for error with the season’s biggest match approaching fast.
Arsenal are dealing with concerns of their own. Mikel Arteta said Jurrien Timber has progressed a bit in the last few days and that the club will try to get him fit and available as quick as possible. Timber has been out for the last two months, and Arteta added that the defender is doing everything he can to help the team in any capacity.
For PSG, the immediate question is whether Sunday’s substitution was simply caution or the start of a larger problem. With the final closing in, even a short spell on the treatment table could carry real consequences.
