Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for the rest of Euro 2020 with a knee injury. Dembele came on in the 57th minute of France’s 1-1 draw with Hungary on Saturday, June 19. However, the substitute was forced to be subbed off, and looked to be hampered by an injury.
Ousmane Dembele Ruled Out With Injury for Rest of Euro 2020
Another Injury for Ousmane Dembele
Dembele was brought on as a second-half substitute, as France failed to overcome a stubborn Hungary side in Budapest. The Barcelona winger struggled to make an impact on the game, losing possession on several occasions. Didier Deschamps hooked him off with three minutes to go, with many believing that the French coach was less than impressed with his performance.
However, as he came off, Dembele was clearly in some discomfort, clutching his knee as he made his way to the bench. Whilst it looked as though it may have been a knock at the time, Dembele’s injury is now worse than first feared.
A statement on the France Football Federation website said: “Ousmane Dembele had an X-ray at the Budapest hospital on Sunday night, the recovery time is incompatible with him staying in the squad. After discussing with the player and (team doctor) Franck le Gall, (coach) Didier Deschamps has acknowledged that Ousmane Dembele is ruled out for the rest of the tournament.”
This adds to the long list of injuries that Dembele has picked up in his short career. Since joining Barcelona in 2017, Ousmane Dembele has missed 536 days through injury. He will now hope that his latest setback won’t rule him out for the start of the next season.
Plenty of Attacking Cover for France
In all likelihood, the absence of Dembele will not damage the French team too seriously. The quality of players, particularly in attack, is clear for all to see. Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe started as the attacking trio in each of their first two group games. One would expect that coach Deschamps is unlikely to alter this as the tournament progresses.
Kingsley Coman and Marcus Thuram are both very similar players to Dembele. They both play on the wing, are blessed with pace, and love to take on opponents down the wing. Hence, they should provide adequate cover in Dembele’s absence.
Despite their draw against Hungary, France remain top of group F on four points. They take on Portugal in their final group F game on Wednesday, June 23. Whilst they should be safe with four points, a win would see them face the team in third place of either group A, B or C, giving them the best chance of progressing further at Euro 2020.
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