Ousmane Dembélé Sidelined with Punctured Eardrum Before PSG Clash

In a bizarre turn of events, Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé was forced to withdraw from the squad to face Montpellier HSC on Saturday after suffering a punctured eardrum just hours before kickoff.

According to reports from Actu.fr, the 26-year-old French international traveled with the PSG squad to Montpellier in the morning but soon complained of acute pain in his ear upon arrival. The club’s medical staff wasted no time and quickly contacted emergency services rather than attempting to treat Dembélé themselves.

A team of doctors was promptly dispatched from the nearby Montpellier University Hospital to assess and treat the winger’s condition. With Dembélé now under medical supervision, it became clear he would play no part in PSG’s crucial Ligue 1 clash against the relegation-threatened Montpellier side.

This untimely injury compounds PSG’s woes as the Parisian giants have failed to record a league victory since their 3-1 win over Lille on February 17th. Christophe Galtier’s men were undoubtedly counting on Dembélé’s pace and trickery to help break down the stubborn Montpellier defense.

However, the more pressing concern surrounds Dembélé’s availability for international duty with the French national team. The winger was due to report for training with Les Bleus on Sunday ahead of their upcoming international friendlies, but this punctured eardrum has cast doubt over his participation.

France manager Didier Deschamps will be anxiously awaiting further updates on Dembélé’s condition, as the pacy wide man has become an integral part of the national team setup since making his debut in 2016. His absence would force Deschamps to reshuffle his attacking options for high-profile friendlies against the Netherlands and Ireland.

For Dembélé, this latest setback continues a frustrating pattern of injuries that have plagued his career since his €105 million move to Barcelona in 2017. Persistent muscle issues severely limited his playing time during his first few seasons in Catalonia before he eventually revived his fortunes last year.

PSG took a calculated gamble when they signed the injury-prone winger on an initial loan with an option to buy last summer. While Dembélé has shown flashes of his prodigious talent, scoring three goals in 20 appearances across all competitions, the French champions will be hoping this ear issue proves nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

After all, with the business end of the season fast approaching, Galtier can ill-afford to be without one of his most dangerous attacking weapons for too long. PSG’s fading Ligue 1 title hopes could hinge on Dembélé making a swift recovery, as the club aims to close the deficit on league leaders Lens in the coming weeks.

Only time will tell if the former Rennes and Borussia Dortmund star’s punctured eardrum forces him to spend an extended period on the sidelines. But one thing is certain – an untimely, freak injury has once again complicated matters for one of Europe’s most talented yet injury-prone players.