PSG furious with Deschamps after Ousmane Dembélé ruled out for six weeks

Paris Saint-Germain said it was "far from happy" with France coach Didier Deschamps after winger Ousmane Dembélé suffered a right hamstring injury during France's 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine and was ruled out for around six weeks.

Dembélé, who has been cited among early Ballon d'Or favourites this season, was brought on midway through the match but was forced off in the 81st minute. PSG issued a club statement on Saturday saying: "After leaving the pitch injured during the match between Ukraine - France on Friday, Ousmane Dembélé has suffered a serious injury to his right hamstring. He is expected to be unavailable for around six weeks."

ESPN reported that PSG were furious with Deschamps's decision to play Dembélé, with a source describing the call as "ridiculous" and saying there had been strong criticism within the club. The injury compounds a difficult international window for Paris, with midfielder Désiré Doué also picking up a strain in his right calf that PSG said will keep him out for around four weeks.

Deschamps defended his decision after the match, saying he believed Dembélé was fit to play and that there had been no medical concern ahead of his appearance. "I was sure that he was capable of playing a high level match, otherwise I would not have played him," Deschamps said. "This time, it is the other thigh [than against Toulouse]. He was fit. It is unfortunate for him but could have happened to another player. I took the decision to play him because of what he was thinking and because medically there was no problem."

PSG will now be without Dembélé for several high-profile matches, including Champions League group-stage fixtures against Atalanta and Barcelona and the Ligue 1 clash with Marseille. The club's medical prognosis of around six weeks places his return after those scheduled meetings, subject to standard medical re-evaluation and rehabilitation progress.

Dembélé's injury follows a period in which he has been managed carefully for fitness. He missed part of the early season because of a separate issue, and his return to action had been monitored closely by both club and national team staff. The incident is likely to intensify scrutiny of the decision-making process when clubs release players for international duty, reviving a recurring debate in European football about player workload and the coordination of club and country medical assessments.

PSG did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. France are due to continue their World Cup qualifying schedule in the coming international window, while PSG prepare to regroup ahead of their domestic and European fixtures without Dembélé and Doué for the next several weeks.