Luis Enrique Defends Dembélé and Explains PSG Rest Decision

Paris Saint-Germain will be without Ousmane Dembélé against Le Mans after coach Luis Enrique defended the forward's performances for France and confirmed that he needs additional rest following international duty. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, October 9, 2026, Enrique also praised Désiré Doué and assessed France's progress under Zinedine Zidane.

PSG decided, in consultation between the coaching staff and sporting management, to give Dembélé and Portuguese defender Nuno Mendes time to recover. According to the club's plans, Dembélé will return to training on Saturday, while Mendes is scheduled to resume work on Sunday.

Dembélé, 29, played 262 of a possible 360 minutes during France's three-week international period. According to the source report, he ranked second among France players in minutes played during the break, behind Chelsea defender Maxence Lacroix.

Despite that workload, Dembélé faced criticism in French media for his performances against Turkey, Italy and Belgium. France beat Turkey 1-0, drew 1-1 with Italy and defeated Belgium 4-1. Dembélé played as a center forward against Turkey and Italy before moving to the right wing against Belgium.

Critics questioned his impact in the Belgium match at the Stade de France, where he worked hard pressing opponents, moving off the ball and creating space for teammates but did not produce a decisive contribution. Michael Olise's introduction in his place intensified comparisons between the two players.

Enrique rejected the negative assessment and emphasized Dembélé's attacking qualities during his Friday press conference.

"I have to say that I disagree with that. For me, he was exceptional, as usual. He is a different kind of player.

You can pay the price of a ticket to watch Ousmane on the field with complete peace of mind. He is always there to show his potential and take shots. He was very good."

Enrique said.

The PSG coach also explained that the decision to rest Dembélé and Mendes followed discussions involving the relevant club personnel. He said the approach reflected the length of the international break and the demands of upcoming fixtures.

"After this break, we considered the situation individually, and we all decided that Nuno and Ousmane needed rest ahead of the matches waiting for us. This is normal, and you will have to get used to it, because it will be common this season." Enrique said.

Enrique also praised Doué after the young French international produced a series of strong performances during the break. The coach acknowledged that even talented players can have matches in which their accuracy falls short, citing Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Fabian Ruiz as examples of players subject to the same reality.

"As always, he is a machine, and he plays beautiful football. He can have a match in which he is not precise, just like Ousmane, Kvaratskhelia or Fabian, and that applies to all players." Enrique said.

Enrique said Doué's readiness to contribute mattered more than whether every performance was flawless. He highlighted the importance of remaining prepared for opportunities from the bench or during training.

"I am not worried. What matters to me is what he brings and that he is ready to come on at any moment. Being ready, whether on the bench or in training, is something difficult to achieve." Enrique said.

Asked about possible similarities between PSG's approach and France's style under Zidane, Enrique pointed to the national team's emphasis on possession, pressing, cohesion and winning matches. He said the early performances had shown positive signs, while acknowledging the difficulties national coaches face when trying to build a coordinated team with limited preparation time.

"I don't know, but what I saw in France's first matches was that the ideas are adapted to pursue victory, possession of the ball, pressing and cohesion in order to build a genuine team." Enrique said.

He added that international managers have less time than club coaches to establish harmony among players. Enrique assessed France's individual performances positively and cited the team's results as evidence of its progress.

"That is the difficulty you face when you are a national team coach, because you don't have enough time to establish harmony among all the players. The players' level has been very positive, and the results speak for themselves." Enrique said.