Luis Enrique axes Ousmane Dembélé from PSG’s UCL squad altogether after an alleged altercation between the two.
Luis Enrique confirmed Ousmane Dembélé has been left out of his squad, providing Arsenal with a huge boost ahead of the fixture.
Dembélé participated in PSG’s Champions League opener victory over Girona earlier this month. He has four goals in six Ligue 1 appearances for the French team this season. The 27-year-old France international, who is regarded as the team’s greatest asset in the post-Kylian Mbappé era, has not, however, visited London, according to the PSG manager.
According to reports in the French media, Dembélé and Luis Enrique got into a fight following PSG’s 3-1 victory against Rennes on Friday. With eight minutes left, Dembélé was replaced.
Speaking at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, Luis Enrique said. “If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. The match tomorrow is very important and I want all my players to be ready. So as a consequence I have left him [Dembélé] out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.
“These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions. But I am 100% engaged with my decision, and 100% sure of the decision I have made. It doesn’t mean this is irreversible. I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character.
“I was also hired to win titles. Cannot guarantee that. But I can guarantee the rest, which is playing with a strong identity. The day I cannot do this I will go home. I have the support of the club’s president and the sporting director. I am here to create a team and in the future that might include Ousmane Dembélé, just to be clear.”
Asked to explain the altercation with Dembélé, Luis Enrique replied: “I am very honest and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this. There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.”