Luis Enrique to give extra rest to Ousmane Dembele

Ousmane Dembele played a key role for France in the recent World Cup, where he scored six goals. His position at PSG is vital in enhancing the team's attacking potential in Ligue 1 football. Dembele's fitness and contribution to the game will directly affect PSG's season prospects.

Why it matters

Luis Enrique's decision to rest Ousmane Dembele is important for PSG, as it focuses on the player's fitness and recovery. For Ligue 1 clubs, the availability of key players like Dembele plays a key role in the success of the season. Their fitness not only affects individual performance but also increases the collective strength of the team.

Key points

• Luis Enrique to give Ousmane Dembele extra rest.
• Luis Enrique has defended his decision to rest Ousmane Dembele ahead of the match against Lille, stating that the player's recovery and fitness is important..
• Luis Enrique defends decision to give PSG star Dembele extra rest.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique has defended his decision to give Ousmane Dembele extra rest ahead of Friday's match against Lille. Dembele played for PSG in the Super Cup, Trophée des Champions and the Ligue 1 opener against Rennes, but he was substituted at half-time in the final match. The 29-year-old did not feature in any of PSG's pre-season games following this summer's World Cup appearance, where he helped France finish fourth. Dembele scored six goals, including a hat-trick against Norway in the group stage, and provided two assists for them. After a 2–2 draw with Rennes, it was reported that Dembélé requested rest to return to full fitness, which meant he would miss the match against Lille.

However, Luis Enrique believes the decision is nothing new for PSG, and expressed the club's pleasure in prioritizing Dembele's recovery. "The same thing happened last year, when we gave the players time to recover," said the PSG coach. "It's been happening for the last three years with Dembele, Hakimi and Mbappe. I'm a big fan of Ousmane; he's an important player, and he put in a lot of effort during his summer holidays to be there for our two finals. He has been, is and will be an important player for us. He made a good decision this week, and that's all. I'm confident he's on the right track."

Before PSG's match against Lille, Tanguy Nianzu could face his former club PSG, where he played 13 matches and 907 minutes in 2019-20. After that, the new Lille player has only recorded more starts and minutes in a single club season, which was with Sevilla in 2022–23. In the MD1 against Rennes, Ferran Torres became the third player to score a brace on his debut in all competitions for PSG, preceded by Patrick Mboma (1994) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2012). In the 21st century, three players have scored in their first two matches for PSG: Julian Draxler, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé all did so in 2017.

PSG have scored 33 goals in 10 Ligue 1 matches against Lille since the start of the 2021-22 season, at least seven more than the 26 goals (against Brest) they have scored in this period against any other team. However, after a 1-1 draw against PSG last season, Lille can go on to go unbeaten in two home Ligue 1 matches against them, a run of 12 matches between 2000 and 2012. PSG have not won any of their last three matches against French teams and they had only one long winless run against such sides in the last 10 years.

Lille made 43 clearances on MD1 this Ligue 1 season, more than any other team, while PSG recorded the fewest (eight). Lille and PSG were two of three teams to average fewer than 20 clearances per game in Ligue 1 last season.

What will happen next

Moving forward, PSG are hopeful that Dembele will soon return to full fitness and improve his performances in Ligue 1. If he maintains his fitness, his return will boost PSG's attacking potential, improving their season prospects. It will be important to keep an eye on Dembele's role in the next matches, especially when the team is competing against Lille.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the score of the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille?

Match score is not given in this article.

What impact will Ousmane Dembele's absence have on PSG's standings?

The article does not mention what impact Dembele's absence will have on PSG's standing.

When is Paris Saint-Germain's next match?

The article does not mention the date of the next match.

How many goals did Ousmane Dembele score in the last match?

Dembele did not score a goal in the previous match, but he scored six goals, including a hat-trick against Norway in the group stage.

Why did Luis Enrique decide to rest Dembele?

Luis Enrique has decided to rest Dembele to prioritize his recovery.

Related Articles

• Lilla made the biggest deal of Rs 100 million in the foreign market
• Niza: Abergele seriously injured his knee, Rossoneri now
• Milan coach Ruben Amorim shared before his first match