Ousmane Dembélé: The major dilemma facing PSG boss Luis Enrique ahead of Bayern clash

Good news for Paris St-Germain and Luis Enrique: Ousmane Dembélé is back after almost a month on the sidelines and ready to spearhead PSG’s assault on Bayern Munich at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Enrique’s UEFA Champions League winners play the German champions on Saturday in the quarter-finals of a tournament where all 63 games are being shown live and free on DAZN.

To have Dembélé available again is a huge boost to the French giants as they bid to overcome a Bayern side who beat them 1-0 in the Champions League last November.

The France striker has been battling a muscle injury in his left quadriceps sustained when playing for his country against Spain on June 5.

He subsequently missed PSG’s three group-stage games at the Club World Cup before returning for Sundday’s 4-0 win over Inter Miami in the Round of 16.

Dembélé played the last 28 minutes after replacing two-goal João Neves, PSG having been 4-0 up and in total control since the break.

The cigars were being passed around by the time Dembélé entered the fray as PSG cruised into the last eight after easily coming out on top in their reunion with Lionel Messi.

All the talk beforehand had been about the Argentinian icon and the prospect of him inspiring Inter Miami against a Paris St-Germain side where he spent two years before heading Stateside last summer.

For 28-year-old Dembélé, though, who consoled his former Barcelona team-mate at the end and later swapped shirts with him, there was a bigger picture.

For him it was a hugely welcome return to action with Vincent Kompany’s side now looming.

Inter Miami were no match for the French aristocrats, but Bayern will be a much different proposition this weekend.

Dembélé is now pushing for a return to the starting line-up, having been such a key figure for PSG in their glorious treble-winning 2024-25 campaign.

Since last August, Dembélé has scored 32 goals in 53 appearances in a breathtaking contribution which has put him in contention to win the Ballon d’Or.

Enrique has a dilemma on his hands now, though.

dembele

Does he start his star striker against Bayern, with a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals on the line, or does he use him off the bench again?

Bradley Barcola started alongside Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as PSG’s front three against Inter Miami.

That is a formidable trio at the best of times, but can Enrique afford to leave out Dembélé in a game of this magnitude?

It is a huge call as PSG bid to negotiate a way past Bayern and into the last four of the Club World Cup.

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