Deschamps responds to Paris Saint-Germain's anger after Dembélé and Doi's injuries: "We are handling it professionally"

Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national football team, defended the way the coaching staff is handling the physical condition of players Ousmane Dembélé and Desire Doi, after they suffered muscle injuries during their participation in the match against Ukraine in the World Cup qualifiers, injuries that sparked the anger of their club Paris Saint-Germain, the European champion.

Deschamps said in his press statements on Monday: "It is sad for Ousmane and Desire of course because of their injuries, and we are losing important players for tomorrow's match. But we are handling the situation in a professional and advanced manner, as we always do with all players, taking into account their personal feelings."

Paris Saint-Germain had accused the French Football Federation of ignoring the medical warnings provided before the training camp began, considering that the injuries were "serious and could have been avoided," calling for a more transparent medical protocol to protect players in the future.

Deschamps denied any conflict between the national team and the club, saying: "This matter concerns two players from Paris Saint-Germain. But the team is not a rival to us – clubs have never been. Our only rival is Iceland tomorrow."

Dembélé is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks, while Doi will be out for about four weeks, meaning they will miss Paris Saint-Germain's opening match in the Champions League against Atalanta later this month.