PSG handed boost ahead of Champions League semi-final second leg with Arsenal

PSG are hopeful Ousmane Dembele could feature in their Champions League semi-final second leg with Arsenal after the forward returned to team training today.

Dembele has been in sublime form this season and found the net after only four minutes to silence the Emirates in a 1-0 victory for PSG last Tuesday.

The early strike took Dembele’s goalscoring tally to 33 in all competitions for the campaign, but the attacker was forced off with 20 minutes remaining in north London.

Luis Enrique sent Bradley Barcola on in place of Dembele for the closing stages, later revealing that PSG’s top goalscorer had been struggling with a muscle strain in his right thigh.

Dembele subsequently played no part at the weekend as PSG fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Strasbourg in Ligue 1, with the 2018 World Cup winner said to be in a ‘race against time’ ahead of Wednesday’s second leg.

But it appears Dembele is winning his battle to be involved after he was pictured back in team training with the rest of Enrique’s squad this morning.

According to French publication RMC Sport, Dembele completed three of the four exercises performed by Enrique’s squad, as planned, and ‘felt good’ during the session.

The report claims the ‘goal’ for PSG’s coaching and medical staff is ‘clear’: get Dembele back to full fitness so he can return to the squad or even start against the Gunners.

Only four players – Serhou Guirassy (13), Raphinha (12), Harry Kane (11), and Robert Lewandowski (11) – have outscored Dembele (8) in Europe’s premier competition this season.

The France international has enjoyed a remarkable run of form having been dropped for PSG’s league phase contest with Arsenal in October after arriving late for a team meeting.

‘When you listen to Luis Enrique, he says that the best decision he made was to punish him that day because he transformed him and he became a different player since then and scored all these goals,’ ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger told beIN SPORTS ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

‘Then, I would say Vitinha became the boss in the middle of the park and gave them the stability in possession.

‘You know that Luis Enrique wants to have possession and they transformed their midfield with Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz. It’s a little bit of a Spanish midfield, playing-wise.

‘They have the better balance now because Nuno Mendes on the one flank and Achraf Hakimi on the other have been exceptional in the Champions League.’

There had been some concern over a possible foot injury to Martin Odegaard after the Arsenal captain was seen limping his way off the field in the wake of the side’s loss to Bournemouth.

But speaking in the mixed zone after the match, the Norwegian was quick to play down fears over fitness.

‘Yeah, I think it’s okay,’ Odegaard told NBC Sports.

‘It was just a hit so it is a bit sore but it is fine.’

Jurrien Timber remains a doubt for the return leg after missing the defeat to the Cherries.

However, Arsenal will be boosted by Thomas Partey’s presence in midfield after the Ghanian was ruled out of the first PSG game through suspension.

‘Thomas is a great player and it’s great to have him behind you,’ Odegaard said when quizzed on the possible impact of Partey’s return.

‘He always gives you that protection. He’s so strong in the duels and good on the ball as well.

‘It’s going to be a nice boost for us to have him for that game.’

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