Ousmane Dembele injury history: Barcelona & France star's absences & how many games he has missed

Ousmane Dembele linked up with Barcelona during the summer of 2017, with La Liga giants investing a sizeable chunk of the record-breaking transfer fee that they brought in for Neymar in luring a French forward away from Borussia Dortmund.

A hot prospect, Dembele was expected to thrive in Catalunya, having shown obvious potential during a one-season spell in Germany, but things have not played out as planned for the Rennes academy graduate at Camp Nou.

The 24-year-old is in the process of running down his contract, with Barca preparing to part with a player that has struggled to make the desired impact in Spain through a combination of form and fitness issues. How many games has he missed in total? GOAL takes a look…

Ousmane Dembele injury history: How many games has he missed for Barcelona?

It took Dembele just a matter of weeks on Barcelona’s books in which to suffer a serious injury, with a hamstring problem picked up when making his first La Liga start for the club in September 2017.

Untimely spells on the treatment table have been a common occurrence since then, with thigh muscle complaints proving to be particularly problematic.

He has not had a single campaign at Camp Nou in which no ailments were endured, with 102 games sat out across four-and-a-half years.

You can see Dembele’s full Barcelona injury history in the table below.

Table correct at time of writing on 25/01/2022

What is Ousmane Dembele’s record at Barcelona?

It took an initial outlay of €105 million (£88m/$118m) in order for Barca to prise Dembele from the clutches of Dortmund, with that transfer package including a further €40m (£34m/$45m) in add-ons.

In truth, little value has been found in a man who immediately inherited the No.11 jersey from the departed Neymar at Camp Nou.

He registered just three goals in 17 appearances during his debut campaign, but was fit enough at the end of that to help France to World Cup glory in Russia.

A more productive 2018-19 season delivered 42 outings and a personal-best return of 14 goals, with back-to-back La Liga title triumphs taken in alongside Lionel Messi and Co.

Just nine appearances were made in 2019-20, before bouncing back again the following year, but Barca have toiled as a collective in the present.

Dembele is now seemingly ready to jump ship, having snubbed all efforts to put a contract extension in place, and club boss Xavi has confirmed that a buyer will be sought during the winter transfer window of 2022.

Who has been linked with Ousmane Dembele?

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While the France international has failed to deliver on expectations in Spain, his stock remains high in the eyes of interested parties across Europe.

Exit talk at Camp Nou has raged on a regular basis, even before his deal started to run down, and a fresh start may help to rekindle a lost spark.

Manchester United have been heavily linked with Dembele in the past, along with Premier League rivals Liverpool, while Newcastle now boast the funds and ambition to make a deal possible.

Chelsea have also come into the mix of late, with Blues boss Thomas Tuchel having previously worked with Dembele at Dortmund.

All of those mulling over an official approach will be aware of the many qualities that a World Cup winner could add to their respective ranks, but they will also be wary of a chequered injury record that suggests they would be taking a calculated gamble in any deal.