Zürcher Nachrichten - PSG call for change after Dembele and Doue international duty injuries

After the PSG stars were both forced off during France's 2026 World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine on Friday, their club sent a letter to the French Football Federation (FFF) requesting better "medical and sporting coordination between clubs and the national team".

PSG, who will be without a hamstrung Dembele for around six weeks and Doue for some four weeks with a calf issue, are "urgently requesting a new protocol... that is more transparent and collaborative" regarding player health, they announced in a statement on their website Sunday.

The European champions said they "had provided the FFF with concrete medical information, even before the French team gathered, on the acceptable workload and injury risks for their players".

PSG added they "regret that these medical recommendations were not taken into account by the (national team) medical staff", as well as criticising "the total lack of consultation with their medical teams".

The club reaffirmed their commitment to Les Bleus, but added the "serious and avoidable incidents" must serve as a catalyst for change, particularly in the case of players "underdoing treatment for a medical issue".

"(PSG) hope that these regrettable events will pave the way for the establishment of a new formalised framework for medical coordination, ensuring systematic, documented and reciprocal exchanges between the medical staff of clubs and the national team," they said.

France coach Didier Deschamps said he sympathised with the French Ligue 1 champions' complaints.

"If I were at a club, I would feel the same way," he said, before adding: "There is no such thing as zero risk. If you leave players on the bench, you're not taking any risks..."

The 2018 World Cup winning coach went on to defend Les Bleus' practices.

He cited the examples of William Saliba and Rayan Cherki, of Arsenal and Manchester City respectively, whose pre-existing injuries had been announced by their clubs and who Deschamps allowed to stay at home.

"The protocol stipulates that they must come and have their injuries assessed on Monday morning (at the national team's training camp)," he said. "I didn't make them come."

Deschamps also added he takes "the player's feelings" into account when deciding to play them.

Dembele and Doue will miss PSG's first domestic match after the international break, as well as the start of their Champions League defence at home to Atalanta on September 17.

The pair will also be doubts for the trip to Barcelona in the league phase of Europe's top club competition at the start of October.

Following a short pre-season after playing key roles in PSG's run to the Club World Cup final in July, Dembele and Doue had appeared in all three of the Parisian club's Ligue 1 outings before the international break.

D.Smith--NZN