Dembele, Marquinhos return for PSG’s trip to Leverkusen

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and captain Marquinhos were on Monday included in Paris Saint-Germain’s squad to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League after injury layoffs.

The duo’s return for Tuesday’s league stage game will come as a welcome boost for coach Luis Enrique, whose side have been struggling with injuries this season.

Dembele, 28, has been out since suffering a hamstring problem while on international duty with France in early September.

The newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner had been recovering at a specialist clinic in Qatar and returned to training last week.

He missed PSG’s entertaining 3-3 draw against Strasbourg on Friday but could play some role in Germany as the European champions seek to make it three wins out of three in the Champions League this season.

“It’s always good when you get players back in the squad,” PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery told reporters.

“Especially key ones who are there to push us,” the midfielder added.

“I would say he (Demebele) is a leader, even if he doesn’t speak up much,” Emery added.

Leverkusen centre-back Loic Bade, Dembele’s teammate in the France squad said there was “no secret recipe” to stopping the PSG forward, calling him “a complete player with several qualities”. 

“He won the Ballon d’Or – of course he’s got a lot of quality. He’s good with both feet. I don’t think he’s got a weak side.

“You need to think as a team, defend as a team and be as compact with your teammates as possible.”

Against Strasbourg, PSG welcomed back forwards Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was a substitute.

PSG are still missing midfield duo Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves, but centre-back Marquinhos, who was out with a thigh injury and last played for PSG on September 22, has travelled to Germany with the squad.

Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand, who took over when former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was sacked in September after just two league games, said PSG’s high-energy press was “a weapon” but also “a risk.”

“They’re a super team who have developed further since last year.

“We have a lot of quality in our team and we want to show it. We’ve got trust in our game.”

Leverkusen, Bundesliga champions in 2024, drew with FC Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven in their first two Champions League games.

PSG coach Luis Enrique praised this week’s opponents.

“Leverkusen have recruited a lot and have a new coach,” he said.

“They have quality, know how to defend deep and also press,” he added.