France's Dembele saving himself for Barça as he listens to his body
The attacker has said his primary target is to win the World Cup with Barcelona
Ousmane Dembele has made it clear again in the international break, even tough he would love to play in and win another World Cup with France, that his absolute priority is helping Barcelona back to the top of Europe and winning the Champions League. The winger is in great form under Xavi and wants to help his team achieve big things,.
It's for that reason that, in principle, Dembele -- who has had some pain in his calf since the Bayern Munich game -- will not play on Sunday in the final UEFA Nations League game. France visit Andreas Christensen's Denmark with the objective of not losing to remain in Group A in the competition. It is mathematically impossible for them to reach the final four, but they could still be relegated to Group B.
Ahead of the game, coach Didier Deschamps confirmed Dembele was still training alone. Even though there is no lesson, the player is acting with caution and listening to his body, not forcing things. The current international break has shown the risk of injury for all players is high and his injury history invites prudence.
"Between 2017 and 2021 I lost a lot of time, almost five years of my life. I had to work hard to perform and feel important," Dembele explained to RMC Sport a few days ago. The attacker is focused on his career at Barça and his gestures are coherent in both public and private.
