Barcelona: Ousmane Dembele could miss Lyon game with hamstring injury

The French winger picked up a knock after coming on as a substitute against Rayo Vallecano.

Barcelona have a crucial upcoming clash against Lyon which could define their season due to the Champions League being one of their main priorities. The gulf in resources and personnel between the two clubs means that this should be a relatively straightforward match for the Catalans at Camp Nou. However, Les Gones put in an impressive defensive performance to hold them to a 0-0 draw in the first leg, and Barca could be without Ousmane Dembele.

The 21-year-old has proved his worth to the team this season as a game-changer with key contributions in a number of matches such as the winner in the Spanish Super Cup as well as the equaliser against Atletico Madrid in the league and two assists against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. He works well with Lionel Messi due to the Argentine taking the attention of the opposition defence, so he usually has space to work in on the wings.

According to an official statement by the club, Dembele has a hamstring strain that could rule him out of the Lyon second leg depending on how it develops. He didn’t work with the group in training which is a bad sign as it means he is likely to be limited to a substitute role at best. In his absence, Ernesto Valverde has two realistic options to choose from — Malcom or Philippe Coutinho.