Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has been dropped from the match day squad ahead of the French team’s game against Arsenal on Tuesday night. Mikel Arteta has hinted in the pre match press conference that Arsenal will have to change their tactics for the game.
The French international has scored four goals and provided three assists in six league games for PSG this season. He has been dropped from the match day squad after a confrontation with head coach Luis Enrique.
What Mikel Arteta said about Ousmane Dembele
The Arsenal boss says his team will be prepared even with the absence of the forward from the PSG team:
“I heard the news just before the press confernece. I was surprised. I don’t know what happened. We’ve already done a lot of preparation on PSG playing with him because he’s a key player for them. He has the ability to do something unexpected, to create these magic moments. Let’s see who is going to be there [to replace him],”
The French league Champions still have a host of attacking talent including Marco Asensio, Randal Kolo Muani and Bradley Barcola.
Luis Enrique explains decision to drop star from squad
According to the Spaniard, the decision had been building up for a while. This is what the PSG coach had to say after omitting the forward from the squad before Tuesday night’s game against the Gunners:
“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.”
Enrique’s comments suggest the incident is a disciplinary issue which the player and coach will resolve.
“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 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.”
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are confident ahead of Tuesday’s game, especially as it is in front of the Emirates crowd.
