When PSG and France Clash: Injuries, Tensions, and October Showdowns
6 October 2025
Background
Paris Saint‑Germain and the France national team resume a public clash for a second straight month, driven by injuries to top stars and competing medical advisories. Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué left the September qualifier against Ukraine with muscle issues, complicating France’s Euro 2026 campaign spanning the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Dembélé suffered a right‑thigh strain estimated at around six weeks of recovery, with a trip to Doha to continue therapy following his Ballon d’Or celebration on September 22. Doué’s calf issue was diagnosed as a four‑week layoff, keeping him out of October fixtures.
Exclusion, Replies, and the October Camp
The row deepened when the French Football Federation announced Didier Deschamps had decided to omit Bradley Barcola from the October camp, with Florent Thauvin recalled to replace him for the two Euro 2026 qualifiers: Azerbaijan on October 10 at Parc des Princes and Iceland on October 13 in Reykjavik.
The federation cited a chronic right hamstring issue dating back to a PSG match against Atalanta as the reason for Barcola’s exclusion. PSG fired back with a sharp statement on X, insisting the federation’s medical notes did not align with the club’s own medical data and stressing the confidentiality of medical information for all parties.
In addition, the federation noted that after discussions with the player and the national team doctor, Deschamps allowed Barcola to return to his club, and Thauvin was added to the squad in his place.
France Squad and Context
The October squad announcement followed with details on the 23‑man list and the positional balance, including the substitution of Barcola with Thauvin. The article recalls Barcola’s role in recent squads and the ongoing medical dialogue between club and country.
Paris Saint‑Germain’s counterstatement emphasized medical confidentiality and challenged some elements of the federation’s diagnosis and its timing, underscoring a rotating tension between club and country on player health and selection decisions.
October fixtures and Key Players
France’s October program features matches against Azerbaijan in Paris and Iceland in Reykjavik, as the team presses on with Euro 2026 qualification.
Ousmane Dembélé has a record of seven goals and four assists in 57 appearances for the national team, and Désiré Doué remains a rising talent to monitor, while Bradley Barcola’s form in Ligue 1 becomes a talking point as the clubs navigate medical communications.
France’s October squad and the shift from Barcola to Thauvin are placed in the broader context of the federation’s decisions and PSG’s stance ahead of a demanding international window.
Note: The French team’s depth is tested, but the country will lean on a familiar blend of experience and youth as it chases the 2026 World Cup dream.
Punchlines: If injuries were players, this camp would be in extra time forever. And if the transfer window taught us anything, it’s that calendars—like hamstrings—always have it in for your best players.
