June 22, (THEWILL)- While a couple of Barcelona players are having a sensational tournament at the continental football competition in Europe such as recent signing Memphis Depay of the Netherlands, Jordi Alba of Spain and Antoine Griezmann of France, Griezmann’s compatriot and fellow Barca forward Ousmane Dembélé will play no further part in the competition.
THEWILL learnt that the French striker will require surgery to handle a knee injury he sustained at the Euros 2020 which forced his exit from the France squad camp and may keep him from active football for another four-month period, at the least.
According to sources monitored by THEWILL, the injury, which is a considerable tear on the “biceps femoris muscle”, could mean that Dembélé will likely undergo another surgery in Finland. THEWILL recalls that the striker had already undergone procedures for similar issues in September 2017 and February last year.
Dembélé picked up the latest injury after he was introduced as a 57th minute substitute in Saturday’s draw with Hungary but had to be replaced half an hour later by Thomas Lemar, when it was clear that he could not continue playing with the injury he was trying to manage.
After the match on Saturday, the French team coach, Didier Deschamps, confirmed the fears of those who knew something of the history of Dembélé’s injuries, that it was a knee tendon injury and would require further testing. It was this further testing that pointed out that the Frenchman had torn his biceps femoris muscle.
He will be missed in the French squad and perhaps also when next season kicks off for the 2021/2022 campaign. He has been in great form for France recently. It was he who grabbed the equaliser against Hungary and before the Euros, scored in the warm-up wins in the Wales and Bulgaria international friendlies.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
