Doue (L) and Dembele (R) got injured during international duty
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have launched a sharp rebuke at the French Football Federation after suffering a double blow: injuries to Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, during France’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Friday, September 5, 2025.
In Poland, France secured a 2-0 win courtesy of early and late strikes from Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappe, who netted his 51st international goal, drawing level with Thierry Henry as France’s second-highest scorer.
Yet the victory came at a steep price for PSG: Doue suffered a calf strain and had to be substituted at halftime, while Dembele, brought on in the second half, limped off with a hamstring issue around the 81st minute.
The injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for PSG. Dembele, one of the frontrunners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or after a sensational treble-winning season, faces approximately six weeks on the sidelines. Doue is expected to be out for about four weeks.
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PSG expressed frustration in a strongly worded statement, saying they had shared specific medical guidance with the French team, including recommended workload limits and injury risks, before the training camp began.
That guidance, PSG laments, was ignored, with no consultation held with their own medical staff. The club is now demanding a revamped, transparent medical coordination protocol between clubs and the national team, advocating for documented exchanges and a precautionary principle when selecting players, especially those returning from prior issues.
France coach Didier Deschamps, however, defended his decision to field Dembele, stating the player was deemed fit and the injury occurred in the opposite leg to his previous issue.
“I was sure that he was capable of playing a high-level match,” Deschamps said.
FKA/AE
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