Ousmane Dembélé returns to the Paris Saint-Germain travelling party with a few quiet days behind him and a major European night ahead. PSG face Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday at 21:00, with the France forward backing Luis Enrique’s decision to rest him after international duty.
Dembélé did not feature on Saturday after speaking with his coach following the France match. He said the break was spent peacefully with friends and family, and insisted there was no issue behind the latest pause in his schedule.
Quick facts
- Paris Saint-Germain play Manchester City on Wednesday at 21:00.
- Dembélé was given time off after the France international break and missed Saturday’s match.
- He believes Luis Enrique is managing the squad’s workload correctly.
- PSG overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat City 4-2 in January 2025.
- Dembélé praised Désiré Doué and former PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The 28-year-old said he would like to play every match, but accepted that it is impossible across a campaign that can stretch to 70 or 80 games. He pointed to the heavy number of fixtures played over the past two seasons, saying Luis Enrique knows when an individual needs to step back.
“When I need rest, he tells me,” Dembélé said. “I want to play every game, but you cannot play them all in a season with 70 or 80 matches. He understands the workload of the squad very well. We have to trust him.”
He added that the subject has become something of a dressing-room joke rather than a concern. Dembélé said he was pleased with his own start to the season and calm about what lies ahead, while recognising PSG still need greater consistency in Ligue 1 after failing to win every domestic fixture.
Paris have integrated several new players well, he said, and the team are beginning to find their rhythm. But Dembélé refused to frame the City trip as an opportunity to make a statement across Europe, despite PSG’s ambition of completing another treble.
“It is only October and the season is long,” he said. “We will see when it really matters.”
He nevertheless underlined the importance of finishing among the top eight in the Champions League league phase. He also noted that PSG would not fear the play-offs if required, having come through that route successfully before.
The meeting carries recent history. In January 2025, PSG came from two goals down to defeat Manchester City 4-2 on the seventh matchday of the league phase, a result that became a turning point on the road to their first Champions League title.
Dembélé expects another difficult assignment regardless of the circumstances around City. Asked whether the English side’s off-field problems — including findings involving 114 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations and the possibility of severe sanctions — could affect the contest, he focused on their strength on the pitch.
“It is always hard to play them, whether they are in a good moment or a bad one,” he said. “They have world-class players and a top coach.”
The Frenchman also singled out Désiré Doué, describing his PSG team-mate as one of the most gifted players in world football. Dembélé said Doué’s dribbling is difficult to replicate and called the young forward an important figure in Luis Enrique’s side.
There will also be a familiar face in the opposite goal. Dembélé said he remains in regular contact with Gianluigi Donnarumma, now City’s first-choice goalkeeper, and called him an exceptional shot-stopper.
He revealed that he was unable to attend Donnarumma’s wedding during the summer, although he sent him many messages. Their reunion had already begun during the international break, Dembélé joked, when Donnarumma denied him with a save.
