Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele remains uncertain for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final second leg with Arsenal after missing training on Thursday.
The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund attacker struck inside just four minutes at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, as Luis Enrique's men came away with a priceless 1-0 first-leg lead.
Dembele's early effort in North London was his 33rd goal of a phenomenal 2024-25 season in all competitions, while he boasts 45 direct involvements from as many appearances in the current campaign.
However, the France international had to come off on the 70-minute mark against Arsenal due to an apparent hamstring injury, albeit one that Enrique labelled "very minor" at the full-time whistle, but without guaranteeing his availability for the second leg.
PSG will battle Strasbourg on Saturday afternoon before hosting Arsenal, and according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Dembele was missing from team training on Thursday ahead of that Ligue 1 contest.
As a result, it is highly unlikely that the 27-year-old will be seen against Les Coureurs, especially as PSG have already been crowned Ligue 1 champions, and his status for next week remains up in the air.
Nevertheless, Hawkins adds that PSG remain optimistic about Dembele's availability for the second leg, where Enrique will be working with a fully-fit squad if the winger is given the green light.
PSG's options to replace Dembele against Arsenal
© Imago
Despite initially making a name for himself as a winger - and then struggling to make a name for himself in that position again - Dembele has been given a new lease of life through the middle in the 2024-25 campaign.
If the worst comes to the worst and Dembele is unable to start the second leg, though, Enrique has one recognised centre-forward in Goncalo Ramos, whose 15-goal haul in 2024-25 is nothing to be scoffed at.
The 23-year-old has only started one Champions League game in the current campaign, though, and it is not cut and dry that Ramos will occupy the centre-forward role against Arsenal if Dembele is omitted.
All of Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue can operate through the middle, and one may very well do so while the other two wreak havoc out wide at the Parc des Princes.
Finally, South Korea international Lee Kang-in has filled in up front a few times - including in October's league-phase loss to Arsenal - although the 24-year-old should only be a last resort.
Regardless of PSG's attacking situation, Arsenal will need to achieve a feat that only two other clubs in the Champions League have ever managed in the second leg if they are to reach this year's final.
Ben Knapton
