OUSMANE DEMBELE TIPPED TO RETURN AND FACE TOTTENHAM IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Ousmane Dembele is back in training for PSG and could feature against Tottenham in the Champions League after a three-week calf injury layoff.
Ousmane Dembélé practised with his PSG teammates on Tuesday and might play in the Champions League game against Tottenham this week.
The Ballon d'Or winner hasn't played since he got hurt during PSG's 2-1 home loss to Bayern Munich on Nov. 4. He's been out for three weeks with a calf injury.
Dembele's injury happened in PSG's last Champions League game against Bayern Munich earlier this month.
He missed playing for France during the international break and didn't play in PSG's 3-0 win over Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
But Dembele is back in training, and Luis Enrique suggested the 28-year-old will play against Spurs on Wednesday night.
"He trained well," the PSG coach said about Dembele at a press conference on Tuesday. We'll see tomorrow. If he's okay, he'll be in the squad.
He also said PSG will be careful not to rush Dembele back to avoid more injuries.
It's hard to manage when an injured player returns, Enrique said. We're paying extra attention.
Spurs played PSG in the UEFA Super Cup in Italy in August and played great, leading 2-0 until the last five minutes. PSG then scored twice to force a penalty shootout and won.
Enrique's team had just started preseason training after returning late from the Club World Cup. He expects a different game against Spurs this time.
The game against Tottenham brings back good memories because we won, but the first 60 minutes were bad, Enrique said. We're more ready to control the game.
Spurs need a good response after losing to Arsenal on Sunday, which has increased the pressure on Thomas Frank.
They played defensively in that game and didn't have a single shot in the first half. It was the first time they played with five defenders since the Super Cup.
In the Super Cup final, they played with five defenders, Enrique said.
They tried it again against Arsenal last weekend, but it didn't work. I don't know; we're ready to play against Tottenham with four or five defenders.
It won't change much because we know their plan. We need to control the game, keep the ball, and play with it. That's our goal for the game.
PSG CRISIS: LUIS ENRIQUE RESPONDS TO HAKIMI’S LEGAL BATTLE BEFORE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASH
High stakes: Discover why Achraf Hakimi faces 15 years in prison and his defiant response to the ordered rape trial in Nanterre.
If found guilty, Hakimi faces up to 15 years in prison, the maximum sentence for the crime he’s accused of.
Hakimi Facing Possible 15-Year Prison Sentence
French outlet Le Parisien, quoted by The Sun, reports that the incident dates back to February 2023. A 24-year-old woman told police she met the Moroccan international on Instagram in January.
She says that when she arrived, Hakimi kissed her on the mouth and breasts over her clothes without her consent and then assaulted her. According to her, she managed to push him away with her foot and left, texting a friend to come pick her up.
Later that day, she went to the police and gave what was called a "statement of rape", but at first she didn’t file a formal complaint.
In the weeks after, she sent investigators messages that reportedly showed how distressed she was after the incident.
On March 3, 2023, an investigating judge charged Achraf Hakimi with rape. Police took him into custody briefly, then released him under judicial supervision. Hakimi has denied the accusations from the start.
Now, in 2026, the Daily Mail reports that Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, confirmed a trial has been ordered. The prosecutor in Nanterre also confirmed it. In their words:
“A trial has been ordered based solely on the word of a woman who blocked all investigations, refused all medical exams and DNA tests, wouldn’t let her phone be examined, and wouldn’t name a key witness.”
Meanwhile, Gianni Infantino is accused of breaking strict FIFA rules during Donald Trump’s Board of Peace meeting.
After the latest news, Hakimi said:
“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial, even though I deny it and everything proves it’s false. This is just as unfair to the innocent as it is to real victims. I calmly wait for this trial, which will let the truth come out.”
PSG manager Luis Enrique was asked before the Champions League play-off second leg against Monaco if Hakimi’s case changes anything for the team or his role as vice captain. He replied, “This is in the hands of the justice system.”
Hakimi also spoke about the accusations in a January interview, saying there was a plot against him. “The truth is, when you’re successful and things are going well, you become an easy target for some people, and that taught me you can’t trust many people around you.
“They tried to blackmail me, and that’s why we filed a complaint. It’s going fine. The justice system handled things pretty well.”
A representative for the alleged victim responded, "My client feels huge relief at this news. Nothing in this case points to any blackmail attempt. We won’t let anyone smear her or destabilise her, which, sadly, still happens far too often to women who dare to report rape.”
Hakimi’s lawyer, Colin, criticised the prosecution’s move, saying, "These requests make no sense given the evidence. The case proves the plaintiff lied, especially through psychological assessments. Achraf Hakimi and I are as calm as we were at the start. If these requests are approved, we’ll appeal every step of the way.”
As of now, Hakimi is still free on bail.
HAKIMI TO STAND TRIAL: PSG STAR CONFIRMS RAPE TRIAL WHILE STRONGLY DENYING ALL CHARGE
Legal showdown: Discover why Achraf Hakimi is heading to trial and his defiant response to the sexual assault allegations.
Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender, says he’ll stand rape trial, a charge he strongly denies. He confirmed the news himself on social media Tuesday, writing, “Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial, even though I deny it and everything proves it’s false. This is as unjust to the innocent as it is to the genuine victims. I calmly await this trial, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.”
The case started back in 2023, when the Nanterre prosecutor’s office opened an investigation after a woman accused the 27-year-old of rape. On Tuesday, prosecutors confirmed the case is heading to court.
According to the plaintiff, she met Hakimi on Instagram in January 2023. She says he ordered her a taxi to his home, then kissed her and touched her without consent before raping her. She says she managed to push him away and texted a friend, who came to pick her up.
Her lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said her client felt relieved the case would get a full hearing. She praised the judiciary’s handling but pointed out that men’s football still has a long way to go when it comes to the #MeToo movement.
On the other side, Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, argued that the trial is moving forward based only on the woman’s word. She said the plaintiff blocked all investigations, refusing medical exams, DNA tests, access to her phone, and the name of a key witness.
Meanwhile, PSG are set to face Monaco on Wednesday in the return leg of their Champions League playoff. PSG won last week’s first leg 3-2 at Stade Louis II, and Hakimi was listed in the squad. Asked about his defender, PSG head coach Luis Enrique kept it simple: “This matter is in the hands of the authorities.”
Read More News