Ballon d'Or Winner Out for PSG's Ligue 1 Clash, Dembele Sidelined

Since returning from the World Cup, the Ballon d'Or winner has seen limited playing time for PSG, featuring for a maximum of 45 minutes in the first three matches of the season. He came off the bench in the European and French Super Cups against Aston Villa (2-1) and Lens (0-1), and only played the first half in the Ligue 1 opener against Rennes (2-2).

“Following an agreement with the coach and sporting management, Ousmane Dembele will use the coming days for a period of rest. He will resume full team training on Monday,” the club statement, cited by dpa, read.

Dembele has scored 35 and 20 goals respectively in all competitions over the past two seasons. He played a key role in PSG securing their fourth and fifth consecutive league titles, as well as two successive Champions League trophies.