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PSG Hit with Double Injury Blow as Dembele and Doue Ruled Out for Weeks

(FILES) France's midfielder #07 Ousmane Dembele looks on during the UEFA Nations League League A, Group A2 football match between Belgium and France, at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, on October 14, 2024. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
(FILES) France's midfielder #07 Ousmane Dembele looks on during the UEFA Nations League League A, Group A2 football match between Belgium and France, at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, on October 14, 2024. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
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PSG Hit with Double Injury Blow as Dembele and Doue Ruled Out for Weeks

(FILES) France's midfielder #07 Ousmane Dembele looks on during the UEFA Nations League League A, Group A2 football match between Belgium and France, at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, on October 14, 2024. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
(FILES) France's midfielder #07 Ousmane Dembele looks on during the UEFA Nations League League A, Group A2 football match between Belgium and France, at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, on October 14, 2024. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)

Paris St Germain forward Ousmane Dembele faces about six weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while winger Desire Doue will be out of action for around four weeks due to a calf problem, the European champions said.

They suffered the injuries during France's 2-0 victory over Ukraine in the World Cup qualifiers in Poland on Friday. Doue was replaced by Dembele at halftime, only for the 28-year-old to later limp off in the 81st minute.

Dembele, one of the favorites to win this year's Ballon d'Or, was instrumental in PSG's treble-winning campaign last season, which included their first Champions League title, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup triumphs.

He bagged 35 goals and registered 16 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions for PSG last season.

"Ousmane Dembele has suffered a serious injury to his right hamstring. He is expected to be unavailable for around six weeks," Reuters quoted PSG as saying in a statement on Saturday.

"Also picking up an injury during the encounter, Desire Doue suffered a strain in his right calf and will be out for around four weeks."

PSG will next be in action when they host Lens in Ligue 1 on September 14, followed by the start of their Champions League title defense against Atalanta three days later.

Their packed September schedule also includes Ligue 1 matches against Olympique de Marseille and Auxerre, leading up to a highly-anticipated Champions League clash with Barcelona, Dembele's former club, on October 1.

France, meanwhile, host Iceland in Group D of their World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.

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Ancelotti Shrugs off Neymar Chants After Brazil Lose to France

Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, looks on prior to the international friendly match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Getty Images/AFP)
Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, looks on prior to the international friendly match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Ancelotti Shrugs off Neymar Chants After Brazil Lose to France

Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, looks on prior to the international friendly match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Getty Images/AFP)
Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, looks on prior to the international friendly match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Getty Images/AFP)

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti ‌played down fans' chants for Neymar, who was not selected for the squad, after their 2-1 defeat to France in a warm-up game in Boston on Thursday, saying the focus should remain on the players involved.

Neymar was left out after the 34-year-old missed a recent Santos FC match with muscle fatigue - a game Ancelotti had planned to watch in person as part of his assessment ahead of naming the ‌squad.

"Right now we ‌have to talk about those who ‌are ⁠here, who played, ⁠who gave everything, who showed character, who worked very hard. And I am satisfied," Ancelotti told reporters.

"I think Raphinha played very well. He had some muscle discomfort at the end of the first half and we had to substitute him, but he had ⁠many opportunities and very good movement ‌off the ball.

"And Vini (Vinicius Jr.) ‌always tries; he always makes the difference. A striker ‌cannot always score, but the work done by ‌both of them was good."

Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and ‌has struggled to maintain a consistent run of matches since returning to Santos ⁠last year.

Ancelotti ⁠has repeatedly said the forward will be considered if he is fully fit. Despite the defeat and Neymar's absence, the Italian said the performance reinforced his belief in the squad's potential.

"I think today's game makes it very clear to me that we can compete with the best teams in the world. I have no doubt about that," Ancelotti said.

Brazil will next face Croatia on March 31 in Orlando ahead of the June 11 to July 19 World Cup in North America.

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White Deserves Another Chance with England, Says Tuchel

England's German head coach Thomas Tuchel attends a press conference at Wembley Stadium, west London, on March 26, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football matches against Uruguay and Japan. (AFP)
England's German head coach Thomas Tuchel attends a press conference at Wembley Stadium, west London, on March 26, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football matches against Uruguay and Japan. (AFP)
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White Deserves Another Chance with England, Says Tuchel

England's German head coach Thomas Tuchel attends a press conference at Wembley Stadium, west London, on March 26, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football matches against Uruguay and Japan. (AFP)
England's German head coach Thomas Tuchel attends a press conference at Wembley Stadium, west London, on March 26, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football matches against Uruguay and Japan. (AFP)

England manager Thomas Tuchel ‌said Ben White deserves another chance with the national team after the Arsenal defender returned to the squad for the first time in more than three years for World Cup warm-ups against Uruguay and Japan.

White left the 2022 World Cup camp in Qatar early for personal reasons and later made himself unavailable for the remainder of Gareth Southgate’s tenure, which ended after Euro 2024.

"First of ‌all, I ‌think everyone deserves a second chance," ‌Tuchel ⁠told reporters on ⁠Thursday ahead of the Uruguay match.

"Second, I don't know exactly what happened. I was also not 100% interested because I wanted to open a new page and a new book and a new opportunity.

"Once I asked Ben if he would be ⁠ready to play for me and ‌for England, he straightaway, ‌without hesitation, said he would love to come back ‌and was desperate to come back."

Tuchel said he ‌expects White to be supported by the crowd but noted the defender may still need to smooth things over inside the dressing room.

"I think it's necessary he ‌clears the air with his teammates and I think he will with ⁠players who ⁠come back who were in the World Cup together with him," the German said.

"Then we go from there. Let's see how it goes and let's see how he feels, if he feels as comfortable and as confident as he thought he would."

England host Uruguay at Wembley later on Friday before facing Japan at the same venue four days later as part of their preparations for the June 11 to July 19 World Cup in North America.

Sports

Jordan Dream of Morocco-Style Run as World Cup Debut Nears

Football - International Friendly - Jordan Training - Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort, Antalya, Türkiye - March 26, 2026 Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami speaks to the media during training. (Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - Jordan Training - Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort, Antalya, Türkiye - March 26, 2026 Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami speaks to the media during training. (Reuters)
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Jordan Dream of Morocco-Style Run as World Cup Debut Nears

Football - International Friendly - Jordan Training - Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort, Antalya, Türkiye - March 26, 2026 Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami speaks to the media during training. (Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - Jordan Training - Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort, Antalya, Türkiye - March 26, 2026 Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami speaks to the media during training. (Reuters)

Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami has called on his players to emulate Morocco's shock run to the World Cup semi-finals four years ago as they prepare for their first appearance at the global football showpiece in North America.

Jordan will face Austria, Algeria and Argentina in Group J at the June 11 to July 19 World Cup and are holding their final training camp in Antalya this week.

Media access to training sessions has been tightly restricted as the team fine-tuned tactics.

Some players say they can barely sleep in anticipation of the tournament, but Sellami wants them ‌to draw confidence ‌from Morocco's achievement at the last World Cup, where ‌they ⁠lost 2-0 to ⁠France in the last four.

"In big competitions, many teams can surprise. My country Morocco reached the semi-finals in the last World Cup," he said. "That gives us belief."

Jordan will play Costa Rica later on Friday and Nigeria on Tuesday as part of a four-team regional tournament that also includes Iran and was relocated from Jordan to Türkiye due to the war in the Middle ⁠East.

"Of course we feel sad about what is happening. ‌I hope there will be peace," midfielder ‌Noor Al-Rawabdeh said at the camp.

"But this is football — we moved here and ‌we need to adapt. In the World Cup you face the unknown, ‌so we must be ready for everything."

Despite their underdog status, the players say they are not going to the World Cup just to make up the numbers. "For us, we are not going just for participation," Al-Rawabdeh added. "We are aiming to go ‌as far as we can in the tournament.

"To be honest, sometimes we don't sleep when we think about ⁠it," he ⁠added. "It’s a dream come true for us."

Jordan secured an automatic berth at the World Cup after finishing second behind South Korea in their Asian qualifying group. Defender Mohammad Abu Alnadi said the squad were relishing the opportunity to compete on football's biggest stage.

"It's truly amazing. All of us are excited. It's one of the highest levels any player can play," he said.

"We want to go as far as possible — like any other team — and make history again."

Sellami said the Antalya camp was a key stage in building experience ahead of facing elite opposition.

"We are preparing step by step. We've played against different football cultures," he said.

"We are collecting experience and, Inshallah (God Willing), we will surprise many people."