France coach Deschamps plays down rift with PSG over Dembele, Doue injuries

France coach Didier Deschamps calmed suggestions of a rift between the national team and Paris Saint-Germain after the European champions were left fuming after Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue picked up injuries on international duty.

Dembele, PSG’s leading scorer last season and one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or, has been ruled out for between six and eight weeks after coming off hurt in France’s 2-0 win over Ukraine in World Cup qualifying on Friday.

Doue was injured in the same game and is expected to be sidelined for a month, dealing a major blow to PSG as they prepare to begin their defence of the Champions League title.

The club wrote to the French Football Federation (FFF) on Sunday calling for a “more transparent and collaborative coordination protocol to be put in place between clubs and national teams”.

PSG, whose squad had a significantly shortened close-season break after going all the way to the final of the Club World Cup in July, said they had provided the FFF with “concrete” medical information about how much workload their players could withstand.

They said that their recommendations were ignored.

Deschamps insisted that the French team’s medical staff “did things in a very professional and progressive way, as we do with all the players, taking into account how each player feels”.

“Even if they are eager to play, that feeling is always a very important element for us,” added the French coach, who was speaking before Les Bleus host Iceland at PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium on Tuesday.

“PSG are not our adversary, and never have been. The clubs never have been, even if our interests go in different directions, and that is normal.

“I have been on the other side of the barrier. Our only opponent is Iceland,” Deschamps said, insisting that there are always exchanges between his team and the clubs.

He used the examples of Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki and Arsenal defender William Saliba, who picked up injuries and were told they would not need to come to the French team’s training base for further assessment despite having being called up.

“I am not going to make them come when we are perfectly aware it’s not possible, because our doctor was sent the images from their scans,” said the coach.