PSG have received a major boost ahead of their Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele returning from injury.
Dembele, 28, has been out of action for over six weeks due to a hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with France in early September. He completed his rehabilitation at a specialist clinic in Qatar and resumed full training last week. PSG published footage of the forward training normally on Saturday.
The devastating forward was rewarded for a phenomenal season last time out by being crowned the world’s best at the Ballon d’Or ceremony which took place at the iconic Theatre du Chatelet on September 22. He returns to the pitch for the first time since that memorable night and spectators all over the world will be watching to see if he can continue his rampant form.
Meanwhile, captain Marquinhos also returns after recovering from a thigh injury that sidelined him since PSG’s Ligue 1 match against Marseille on September 22. Both players are part of the traveling squad to Germany, although it remains unclear whether they will start.
Head coach Luis Enrique welcomed their return but emphasized that no risks will be taken.
“It’s important for the team to have players back,” Enrique said. “But it’s about how the players feel today, and we will assess things before the match.”
Dembele’s comeback comes at a crucial moment for the Ligue 1 giants, who have made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign with wins over Atalanta and Barcelona. However, they were held to a 3-3 draw by Strasbourg in the French top-tier over the weekend and currently trail Marseille in the domestic standings.
Despite the boost, PSG remain without midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves due to injury. Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both returned last week, with the latter making a substitute appearance against Strasbourg.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, sit in the bottom half of the group after back-to-back draws against FC Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven. The German side enters Tuesday’s match following a narrow 4-3 Bundesliga win over Mainz.
PSG will be aiming to maintain their perfect European record with a third consecutive victory.
