Barcelona confirm Ousmane Dembele hamstring injury
Barcelona have confirmed that Ousmane Dembele suffered a hamstring injury in their 2-1 defeat to Cadiz on Saturday.
Barcelona have revealed in a statement that the Frenchman has suffered from an elongation in the hamstring of his right thigh and will be unavailable for an unspecified period of time.
Ousmane Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 for €130 million. The 23-year-old was expected to be the ideal replacement for Neymar, who joined PSG the same summer.
The former Rennes man has, however, failed to live up to expectations at Barcelona. He has been plagued with injuries and disciplinary issues during his three years at Camp Nou and was heavily linked with a move away from the club last summer.
Ousmane Dembele attracted interest from Premier League giants Manchester United, who were keen to sign him on loan with an option to buy. The deal failed to materialise as the forward rejected the move at the eleventh hour, preferring to stay at Barcelona and fight for his place.
The France international's decision seems to have paid off as he has become a key member of Ronald Koeman's squad this season, putting in a string of impressive performances, such as the ones against Juventus and Ferencvaros in the Champions League.
His importance to Barcelona increased after the long-term injury suffered by youngster Ansu Fati. The Catalan giants are reportedly keen on extending Dembele's contract at the club as he continues to be linked with a move away.
Barcelona add Ousmane Dembele to a growing injury list
Ousmane Dembele will join a growing injury list at Barcelona. Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Gerard Pique all suffered serious injuries in November and will be out until next year. Defender Samuel Umtiti is another long-term casualty.
Dembele's injury added salt to Barcelona's wounds as they lost 2-1 to Cadiz. Their latest defeat leaves them in ninth place in La Liga, having registered just fourteen points in ten games.
Ronald Koeman said on Saturday:
"A gap of 12 points to a team as strong as Atletico Madrid is a lot. There are still games to be played, but if we don't improve our attitude and our consistency away from home, we can't have a say."
Barcelona are going through a downward spiral on and off the pitch but can take some positives from the form of Antoine Griezmann, who seems to have rediscovered his goal-scoring touch in recent weeks.
The French striker will have to shoulder much of the goal-scoring responsibility in the absence of Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati, something he has been unable to do since joining Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in 2019.