Paris Saint-Germain have criticised the “serious and avoidable” injuries sustained by Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue while on duty with the France national team.
Both players were forced off during France’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Friday, prompting PSG to send a letter to the French Football Federation demanding improved “medical and sporting coordination between clubs and the national team.”
Dembele is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks with a hamstring injury, while Doue faces up to four weeks out with a calf problem. In a statement on Sunday, the club said they were “urgently requesting a new protocol that is more transparent and collaborative” regarding player health.
PSG stressed that they had already provided the FFF with medical details outlining the players’ workload limits and injury risks before the France camp began. They criticised the fact that these recommendations were not followed and condemned the “total lack of consultation” with their medical staff.
The Ligue 1 champions reaffirmed their support for Les Bleus but called for the incidents to drive the creation of a “formalised framework for medical coordination,” ensuring consistent communication between club and national team doctors.
France coach Didier Deschamps responded by saying he understood PSG’s concerns but defended his staff, noting that “there is no such thing as zero risk.” He added that he had respected clubs’ injury reports in cases such as Arsenal’s William Saliba and Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, who were excused from duty.
Dembele and Doue will now miss PSG’s first Ligue 1 match after the break and the opening game of their Champions League defence against Atalanta on September 17. They also remain doubts for the trip to Barcelona in early October.
