Ousmane Dembele says Luis Enrique decides his PSG rest days

Ousmane Dembele has played down the rest he was given by Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their Champions League trip to Manchester City, insisting the decision was entirely down to head coach Luis Enrique.

The forward was handed a short break after France’s international fixtures and did not feature in PSG’s weekend match. Speaking in Manchester before Wednesday’s game, Dembele said he used the time to relax with family and friends.

“I spoke with the coach, who told me I would have a few days off. I rested well with my friends and family. It was very calm and quiet,” he said.

Dembele admitted he would prefer to play every match, but accepted that rotation is necessary across a long season. “I want to play all the games, but across 70 or 80 matches in a season, you cannot play them all,” he said.

He added that he trusts Enrique’s management of the squad’s workload. “It is the coach who decides and he manages the workload very well. It is not really an issue. It makes us laugh in the dressing room when we talk about rest days,” he said.

Dembele is back in PSG’s squad for the City fixture, where he could face former teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma.