Paris Saint-Germain continue their Champions League campaign on German soil as they take on Bayer Leverkusen, but they’ll do so with Ousmane Dembele starting on the bench. The French winger returns to the squad after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Dembele is being eased back into action after recovering from a right hamstring strain he sustained on Friday, September 5, while representing France in a UEFA qualifier against Ukraine. He had come on as a second-half substitute before being forced off with the injury — one that PSG later confirmed as a hamstring issue.
The incident caused tension between PSG and the French national team, with club officials reportedly frustrated by how the situation was handled. According to reports, PSG’s medical staff demanded greater transparency and collaboration between national and club doctors, arguing that injury risks and medical communication were poorly managed.
However, after spending almost a month on the sidelines recovering from his injury, Dembele is now back with the squad alongside Desire Doue and Marquinhos, who were also among PSG’s injured players.
Luis Enrique on Dembele’s return
Dembele has not played since winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or, and PSG manager Luis Enrique made it clear ahead of the Leverkusen clash that his focus is on the player himself — not the award winner.
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“You [the media] see things differently,” Luis Enrique told reporters during a press conference. “He isn’t the Ballon d’Or — he is Ousmane Dembele. The person he is, and the energy he brings, are what matter to the team. The Ballon d’Or is over; you value that, but it means nothing”.
The Spanish coach also expressed his satisfaction with the return of other key players. “For us, the important thing is to get back Marquinhos, Desire Doue, and Ousmane,” Luis Enrique added. “I’m happier about his energy, about who he is as a person, than about the Ballon d’Or. The Ballon d’Or is over”.
