Madrid-based source Diario AS provide a worrying update on Ousmane Dembele's return to action. They claim the Frenchman's recovery is two or three weeks behind schedule.
Dembele is now virtually ruled out for Barcelona's second leg against Napoli which is provisionally scheduled for August 8 or August 9.
AS explain that the French winger is now expected to return to the group in early August. Due to the lack of rhythm, he wouldn't be able to help his team for a week or two.
That's why Dembele could be only available for the Champions League final scheduled for August 23 given the Catalans reach this stage of the tournament.
The 23-year-old suffered a serious hamstring tear during the training session in early February. He had surgery on February 11.
Before the hamstring tear, Dembele had other issues with his right leg. He hasn't played a single minute since the Borussia Dortmund on November 27.
In total, the Frenchman has missed 32 games this season. He has only scored once in nine appearances.
It remains to be seen whether Dembele continues at Barca next term. Mundo Deportivo used to claim that the Catalans consider parting ways with the player for just €45million.
He could be possibly used in a swap deal to bring Lautaro Martinez or even Neymar, according to other sources.
As a reminder, Dembele joined Barcelona for €105m plus a reported €40 million add-ons in August 2017. Due to a series of injuries, he has managed 74 matches in all competitions, contributing in 19 goals and 17 assists.
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