Paris Saint Germain confirms Ousmane Dembélé’s unavailability for Athletic Bilbao clash

France international of Malian descent Ousmane Dembélé will not be available for Paris Saint Germain when they take on Athletic Bilbao in the UEFA Champions League.

The defending champions travels to Spain to face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in matchday six of the Champions League.

Dembélé, who recently won the Ballon d’Or prize has been left out of the squad for the upcoming game due to illness. Despite missing the upcoming clash, the pacey attacker is expected to return to action soon.

The decision not to include the attacker in the Athletic Bilbao showdown is to avoid aggravating he condition, as he has already suffered injuries earlier this season.

Dembele’s absence adds to a recent disrupted run of form in which he has struggled for consistent match fitness.

He missed domestic fixtures against Olympique Lyonnais and Le Havre with a calf injury before returning to action on November 26 in PSG’s 5-3 Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur, when he played 12 minutes as a substitute.

The France international then made further cameo appearances off the bench in a 1-0 defeat by Monaco on November 29 and a 5-0 Ligue 1 victory over Rennes last weekend, clocking close to half an hour in each match.

Against Rennes, Dembele set up Goncalo Ramos in stoppage time, suggesting a gradual return to sharpness before illness struck ahead of Wednesday’s European tie.

The 28-year-old winger has made 16 appearances in the current campaign, scoring five goals and delivering four assists.