Arsenal have been boosted by Ousmane Dembele’s omission from the Paris St-Germain squad for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting at Emirates Stadium.
France forward Dembele has scored four times in six Ligue 1 matches for PSG this term and also played in the 1-0 win over Spanish side Girona in their Champions League opener.
However, reports had emerged that the 27-year-old had a disagreement with PSG boss Luis Enrique after being substituted late on in their 3-1 win over Rennes in the French top flight on Friday.
“If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play,” said Enrique.
“I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him [Dembele] out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.
“These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions but I am 100% engaged with my decision and 100% sure of the decision I have made.”
Former Barcelona man Dembele is arguably PSG’s biggest name in the post-Kylian Mbappe era.
Asked to explain the situation with Dembele, Enrique replied: “I am very honest and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this.
“There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.
“It doesn’t mean this is irreversible, but I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character.”
​​​​​​​Gunners ready to face elite opponents
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Arsenal last faced Paris St-Germain in November 2016, drawing 2-2 in a Champions League group-stage match
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says his side are taking on opponents at their “highest level” despite the exclusion of Dembele.
The Gunners face the French champions who have reached the semi-final stage of Europe’s elite club competition in three of the past five seasons.
“The opposition we are facing tomorrow is probably the highest level you can find in European football,” said Arteta, who played for PSG between 2001 and 2002.
“But it is a great opportunity for us to see how we deal with it and how prepared we are and how we can impose ourselves in this kind of context.”
Arteta also said defenders Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori will be in contention for selection.
White has missed the Gunners’ past two matches with a knee injury, while Calafiori landed awkwardly on his left leg in the closing stages of his side’s win over Leicester on Saturday.
“Obviously he [Calafiori] was a bit emotional after the game,” added Arteta on Monday. “Let’s see how he is today.”