Ousmane Dembele to miss Lille match after Paris Saint-Germain agree rest period

Ousmane Dembele will miss Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 meeting with Lille on Friday after the club announced that the France forward has been given a period of rest.

Paris Saint-Germain confirmed the decision in a brief statement published on its official page. The club said the break had been agreed with both the manager and the sporting management.

“After an agreement with the coach and the club’s sporting management, Dembele will undergo a period of rest over the coming days,” Paris Saint-Germain said.

The club added: “Ousmane Dembele will return to training on Monday with the entire squad.”

Dembele will therefore be unavailable for what is expected to be a demanding second-round fixture away to Lille. The match is scheduled to begin at 21:45 local time on Friday.

The decision comes after Dembele made limited appearances during Paris Saint-Germain’s opening three matches of the season. He played one half against Aston Villa in the European Super Cup and another half against Stade de Reims in the opening round of Ligue 1.

He appeared as a substitute for 30 minutes against Lens in the French Super Cup.

Across those three matches, Dembele contributed to one goal, doing so against Aston Villa in the European Super Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain have already faced Aston Villa, Lens and Stade de Reims this season. Their fixture against Lille represents the next test for the club in Ligue 1, but Dembele will not be involved after being granted time away from training and matches.

The forward ended last season later than usual after representing France at the World Cup. His return to competitive action this campaign has consequently been managed in stages, with his involvement restricted to one half in two matches and a shorter substitute appearance in the other.

Dembele will now spend the coming days resting before rejoining his team-mates in training on Monday. Paris Saint-Germain’s announcement did not provide any further details about the reason for the rest period.