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Ousmane Dembele’s injury problems at Barcelona have been well-documented but it appears the club’s medical staff are frustrated with the Frenchman and are “losing patience” after his latest setback.
The forward suffered a hamstring injury in Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Cadiz that has forced the 23-year-old back onto the sidelines following a promising start to the 2020-21 campaign.
Dembele came off the bench at half-time of the match and “noticed twinges to his right hamstring” just minutes after arriving. The medical staff noticed “something was not right” but Dembele opted to continue, according to Javier Miguel at AS.
The Frenchman underwent tests after the match which showed an elongated hamstring. The club’s medical doctors believe Dembele “made a mistake in delaying his decision to come off” and may have aggravated the problem by staying on.
Although Dembele’s current injury is not thought to be too serious the club is still concerned that despite all his recent physical problems the forward “either won’t tell them or doesn’t know when he might have some kind of fitness issue.”
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When Will Dembele Return?
There’s no date yet for when Dembele will return, but coach Ronald Koeman hinted in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that the Frenchman is not too far away from full fitness.
The Dutchman told reporters, “he is training separately from the group, he’s working on his own and I can’t put a date on it. I hope it’s soon as he’s a player we need.”
Dembele is not in the squad for Wednesday’s match against Real Sociedad. Barca play twice more before Christmas, against Valencia on Saturday at the Camp Nou and at Real Valladolid on December 22.
Koeman will be keen to have Dembele back as his team lacks options out wide currently. Teenage forward Ansu Fati is also out after undergoing knee surgery, leaving new signing Francisco Trincao as the only natural winger in the senior squad.
What Next for Dembele?
Dembele’s future remains the subject of some speculation as the forward’s current contract expires in 2022. Barca want to extend his deal and have been in talks for several weeks, according to ESPN.
Yet any contract extensions will have to wait until a new club president is elected which will not take place until January 2021. Barca will then want the matter wrapped up swiftly and may decide to try and sell in the summer if an extension can’t be agreed.
Dembele’s performances in the early weeks of the season prompted optimism he could finally stay fit and play a key role for Barca this season. He has four goals and two assists in all competitions so far in 2020-21, but there’s no doubt his latest setback is a blow.
Barca will be hoping the talented Frenchman can enjoy an injury-free run once he makes his return from his latest problem and show exactly why the club were so keen to bring him in from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
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