Arsenal have been boosted by Ousmane Dembele’s omission from the Paris St-Germain squad for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting at Emirates Stadium.
France forward Dembele has scored four times in six Ligue 1 matches for PSG this term and also played in the 1-0 win over Spanish side Girona in their Champions League opener.
However, reports had emerged that the 27-year-old had a disagreement with PSG boss Luis Enrique after being substituted late on in their 3-1 win over Rennes in the French top flight on Friday.
“If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play,” said Enrique.
“I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him [Dembele] out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.
“These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions but I am 100% engaged with my decision and 100% sure of the decision I have made.”
Former Barcelona man Dembele is arguably PSG’s biggest name in the post-Kylian Mbappe era.
Asked to explain the situation with Dembele, Enrique replied: “I am very honest and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this.
“There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.
“It doesn’t mean this is irreversible, but I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character.”
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