It took just four minutes for Ousmane Dembélé to leave his imprint on the semifinal first leg in London, dashing into the Arsenal box and curling a shot past David Raya with the kind of instinctive precision PSG have leaned on all season. But 66 minutes later, he was limping off, clutching the back of his thigh and heading straight for the tunnel.
Since then, the French forward’s availability for the return leg has become the most closely monitored subplot of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League campaign.
The club confirmed Dembélé suffered a strain to his right hamstring, but in the days following, the tone around the injury has been one of cautious optimism. PSG sources told ESPN that initial scans revealed nothing serious, and his recovery is “progressing well.” While he has not returned to full training, the club’s medical staff is working around the clock with the hope he will be ready for Wednesday’s decider in Paris.
“I felt a little something, but it’s okay,” Dembélé said after the match, downplaying the scare. Still, Luis Enrique ruled him out of Saturday’s trip to Strasbourg, prioritizing his player’s readiness over a domestic fixture rendered low-stakes by PSG’s already-secured Ligue 1 title.
“Tomorrow he won’t play, that’s for sure,” Enrique told reporters. “We’re going to try to get Dembélé back on the pitch. But we’re a real team. If Ousmane can play, that’s better. But if he doesn’t, we’ll still be a real team.”
The numbers reflect his importance. Dembélé has 33 goals and 10 assists across all competitions this season. Only a handful of players across Europe’s top leagues have been more productive. His goal against Arsenal was his second knockout-stage winner of this tournament—his previous came at Anfield—and his absence would force PSG into reshuffling their front line in a match that could define their season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have their own issues, with Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho, and long-term absentees all missing the first leg. Mikel Arteta‘s side must now chase the tie in Paris, hoping to recover from a bruising first 30 minutes in which Dembélé and company pulled them apart.
For PSG, the dream of a first-ever Champions League title remains alive. Whether Dembélé plays a part in realizing it next week may depend on how his hamstring responds in the final hours before kickoff.
