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Why Ousmane Dembele isn't playing for PSG against Arsenal in Champions League game

Ousmane Dembele will not play against Arsenal in the Champions League.
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


Ousmane Dembele has been left out of the Paris Saint-Germain squad to face Arsenal tonight.

The 27-year-old has scored four goals in six Ligue 1 matches so far this season and also played in their Champions League opener against Spanish outfit Girona last month. However, PSG's manager Luis Enrique revealed in his pre-match press conference that the France international has not travelled to north London.

It was reported in the French media that Dembele had a disagreement with Enrique following PSG's 3-1 win over Rennes on Friday night. The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund was substituted in the 82nd minute.

Speaking pre-match, Enrique said: "If someone doesn't comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. The match [against Arsenal] is very important and I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him [Dembele] out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.

"These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions. I'm 100 per cent engaged [behind] in my decision and 100 per cent sure of the decision I have made."

Enrique continued: "It doesn't mean this is irreversible, but I made the best decision for the team, and that's why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character.

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"I was also hired to win titles. I cannot guarantee that. But I can guarantee the rest, which is playing with a strong identity. The day I cannot do this I will go home.

"I have the support of the club's president and the sporting director. I'm here to create our team and, in the future, that might include Ousmane Dembele, just to be clear."

When asked about his altercation with Dembele, Enrique replied: "I'm very honest and I will be honest, but I'm not going to create a soap opera out of this. There are no problems between us... That's completely false. This is simply about responsibilities of the player."