Barça coach Ronald Koeman's 'warning' to forward Ousmane Dembele

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Barça coach Ronald Koeman's 'warning' to forward Ousmane Dembele

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Dembele didn't play against Valencia as his contract at Camp Nou runs down

At Mestalla on Sunday, something happened that has rarely happened this season. Something that hadn't happened for almost half a year. Ousmane Dembele did not play a single minute for Barcelona in a game that he was called up for and that would have suited him. To find the last time that happened, we have to go back to Nov. 24, 2020. That was the Champions League game against Dynamo Kyiv. Koeman picked a rotated team with Barça 4-0 up, there was no need to use the Frenchman.

It feels significant, given that since then, in one way or another, Dembele had always featured. Whether from the start or as a substitute, the French international always had minuted. In a season in which he has finally found consistency and form, it seems strange that his participation has dropped in recent weeks. Because while it may seem an isolated incident, Ousmane has now been a substitute in his last four games.

Since he was left on the bench in the Copa del Rey final against Athletic, he's not started. Injured against Getafe, he played 11 minutes against Villarreal, 19 vs. Granada and none at Valencia on Sunday. It catches the attention in the decisive phase of the season as Barça fight for a domestic double.

It coincides with a delicate moment regarding his future at the club. As we published on SPORT recently, Dembele's deal is up in 2022 and Barça made a renewal offer to his agents a few weeks ago. The fact that they have still not replied to the club suggests they are thinking of not accepting it -- and even weighing up leaving for free in the summer of 2022.

Meanwhile, another player not to feature against Valencia was Oscar Mingueza. That hadn't happened since Dec. 13 when Barça beat Levante 1-0. Maybe it was a warning for his error against Granada; maybe it was just a rest.

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