Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi sat out Paris Saint-Germain's in-house friendly on Saturday as the French champions began the last phase of their build-up to the Champions League final against Arsenal. The match was split into two 20-minute halves, with players on both sides told to avoid contact.
Dembele, who was substituted in the first half of PSG's Ligue 1 finale against Paris FC last weekend, tried to calm any concern by saying he was doing very well, had only a slight scare and would be ready for the final. He said he had no doubt he would be fit and hoped to be on the pitch on May 30th, while adding that after so many minor scares and bigger injuries in his career he preferred to stop early and avoid any risk.
The forward's absence from the friendly did not necessarily signal a problem. PSG have already finished their Ligue 1 season, which gives them an extra week to prepare for next Saturday's final in Budapest, where they will face Arsenal after beating Bayern Munich and after Arsenal eliminated Atletico Madrid.
Hakimi's situation looks more delicate. He did individual work rather than join the friendly, having already missed the second leg of PSG's semi-final win over Bayern Munich and the final four Ligue 1 matches of the season. It has been reported that he is close to returning to training with the squad, but he is still viewed as unlikely to recover in time to play against Arsenal. At best, he would begin on the bench.
If Hakimi does not make it, PSG may have to improvise at right-back, with Warren Zaïre-Emery among the options to start there. That possibility gives Thursday's final days of preparation added importance for a team trying to arrive in Budapest with its full spine intact and as few last-minute surprises as possible.
For PSG, the bigger picture is simple enough. Dembele appears set to be available, Hakimi is racing the clock, and the final against Arsenal will ask far more demanding questions than an in-house run-out ever could.
