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Why Ousmane Dembele Won't Play for PSG vs FC Barcelona in the Champions League?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 2:08 PM ET

The biggest match of the second week of the new Champions League season is the match between PSG and FC Barcelona. Both teams are regarded as the best in Europe due to their outstanding performances last season.

Many football fans wanted to see PSG play against FC Barcelona in the Champions League Final a few months back due to the level of both teams. The match will be played today, but PSG will be without their biggest star, Ousmane Dembele.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner was crucial for PSG lifting the Champions League trophy last season, but he will not play against FC Barcelona today.

Dembele remains injured and has yet to fully recover from the thigh injury that he sustained nearly a month ago. Dembele's last appearance with PSG was on August 30 in a 6-3 win over Toulouse in Ligue 1.

Dembele was at the Parc des Princes over the weekend in PSG's 2-0 win over Auxerre, where he presented the Ballon d'Or award to the fans in the stadium. He is expected to be back in a few weeks.

Other Players Missing FC Barcelona vs PSG

FC Barcelona will be without Raphinha and Joan Garcia, who sustained injuries last week that will keep them out for the match against PSG and for the upcoming matches.

Their last appearance was the 3-1 win over Real Oviedo in La Liga. Their replacements for the match against PSG are Wojciech Szczesny and Marcus Rashford.

BARÇA XI #BarçaPSG pic.twitter.com/mRB74EOS9X
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 1, 2025

PSG's attack will look very different without Ousmane Dembele out, but Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are also injured and will not play against Barcelona. Marquinhos is also injured and will not play as well.

The players replacing them in the lineup are Bradley Barcola, Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Ilya Zabarnyi.