PSG extend Ousmane Dembele’s break after tense Luis Enrique dressing-room episode

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele will not return to the squad until next Monday after an agreement with manager Luis Enrique, meaning he will miss the club’s Ligue 1 match against Lille.

The development follows reports of tense moments between Dembele and Enrique after Paris Saint-Germain’s dramatic comeback against Rennes at Roazhon Park.

Dembele has never hidden the debt he feels he owes to Enrique. The Paris Saint-Germain manager is widely credited with transforming the France international’s career and guiding him to the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

However, their relationship has also included moments of friction, with the latest incident reportedly occurring in the dressing room following the opening Ligue 1 fixture.

The match was moved away from Parc des Princes because of the poor condition of the pitch. Paris Saint-Germain found themselves 2-0 down against Rennes, before Enrique made the surprising decision to substitute Dembele during the second half.

Ferran Torres replaced him and made an immediate impact on his debut, scoring twice to earn Paris Saint-Germain a draw.

Enrique used the situation to warn his players against complacency, despite the club’s recent success.

“This is football. Paris Saint-Germain have won nothing, absolutely nothing. If you focus on what you have won, you will win nothing. The most important thing for me is that there is no room for complacency: you have to prove yourself every day, in every training session and in every match. Otherwise, it is easy to become complacent,” Enrique said after the game.

He added: “No. Our objective is always to win, and to achieve that, you have to leave your comfort zone. Is that clear?”

French newspaper L’Equipe subsequently reported that the match was followed by a tense exchange between Enrique and Dembele inside the Paris Saint-Germain dressing room.

According to the report, Dembele was the last Paris Saint-Germain player to board the team bus after the final whistle. L’Equipe claims he remained behind while waiting for Enrique.

The report did not indicate that Dembele had been dropped from the squad as a disciplinary measure. Instead, it said the forward had not been given enough time to rest and had agreed with Enrique to extend his holiday.

As a result, Dembele will remain unavailable until next Monday and will not feature against Lille.

The episode adds a new layer to a relationship that has played a significant role in the player’s rise at Paris Saint-Germain. While Dembele continues to recognise Enrique’s influence on his career, the events surrounding the Rennes match suggest that their partnership has not been without pressure.

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