Paris Saint-Germain have been handed a major double boost ahead of their Champions League showdown against Bayer Leverkusen, with Ousmane Dembele and captain Marquinhos back in the squad after injury layoffs. The French champions travel to Germany with renewed confidence, although Luis Enrique will still be without midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves.

Paris Saint-Germain are now receiving good news on the injury front ahead of their Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg. Ousmane Dembele has resumed team training following his hamstring injury, while Desire Doue has recovered from his calf issue. Key players returning could ease PSG’s early-season injury crisis and boost Luis Enrique’s squad as they aim to maintain their top-four Ligue 1 position.

Ousmane Dembele has asked Paris Saint-Germain for a new contract and a pay rise worthy of his new status as a Ballon d’Or winner. The French winger, currently earning €18 million per year and tied to the club until 2028, wants a salary that reflects his global standing, but PSG are unwilling to return to the extravagant wage structure of the Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi era.

Seeing Ousmane Dembele lift the 2025 Ballon d’Or was a deeply emotional moment for Dayot Upamecano. The Bayern Munich defender, who grew up with the Paris Saint-Germain star in Evreux, admitted that watching his France teammate and childhood friend crowned the best player in the world after a sensational season brought him to tears.

Ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole has taken aim at football's administrators, claiming that the over-saturation of the football calendar is putting stars at heightened injury risk, and diluting the quality of the overall product. Cole pointed towards PSG and Chelsea's current injury problems, as well Rodri's persistent fitness issues and Lamine Yamal's concerns, as examples of players being 'flogged for financial reasons'.