Last summer, when Paris Saint-Germain brought Ousmane Dembélé on board, there was a significant worry about his fitness. While he faced numerous injury issues during his stint with FC Barcelona, he’s been injury-free in the French capital this season.
So, what’s the reason? Barcelona continues to deal with injuries to marquee players while Dembélé is going in a different direction. CBS Sports journalist Jonathan Johnson noted that off-the-pitch influences have helped the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner stay healthy and avoid injuries.
“I think first and foremost the big difference for Dembélé is he’s a lot more mature now than he was at Barca, but also at Dortmund as well,” Johnson told PSG Talk. “It’s taken a while for him to really realize what it takes to be a top-level athlete, but he seems to have realized that now he takes himself a lot more seriously.
“I think he’s married away from the pitch, so I think that’s contributed towards the maturity level as well. But I think as well, it’s also been good for him to get back into a French-speaking environment where he feels a bit more at home, a bit more at ease, and sort of able to express himself.”
The Spanish press have noticed that Dembélé remains fit and can help PSG. Furthermore, former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit questioned Barcelona’s medical team or training preparation because, for him, it’s odd to see a player plagued by injury having a clean bill of health.
The 26-year-old hasn’t been a top goal scorer but is becoming the go-to player for creating scoring chances. It will be interesting to see if Dembélé can elevate his form with PSG now in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.