Ousmane Dembélé granted rest period by PSG manager Luis Enrique

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé will miss the upcoming match against Lille after being granted several days of rest. The decision follows a controversial substitution by manager Luis Enrique during a 2-2 draw against Rennes, where Dembélé was taken off at halftime.

While some reports suggested the move was a punishment for poor performance, Luis Enrique clarified that the decision was made in agreement with the sporting direction to allow the player to recover and return to optimal form. Enrique emphasized that he is a ‘great admirer’ of Dembélé and that such rest periods have been used previously for other key players like Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé to manage long-term fitness.

Despite the official stance of rest, some media outlets have speculated about potential tension between the player and the manager following the halftime substitution. Dembélé is expected to return to team training next Monday.