Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has reportedly ordered injury-plagued winner Ousmane Dembele to undergo extra training sessions during the international break.
The France international has endured an underwhelming time at Camp Nou since arriving in a big-money move from Borussia Dortmund and mustered just nine appearances for Barca across all competitions last term.
Dembele came off the bench in La Blaugrana's 4-0 victory over Villarreal on the opening weekend of the 2020-21 La Liga season, but the 23-year-old has been an unused substitute in Barca's two most recent matches against Celta Vigo and Sevilla.
Now, Spanish journalist Lluis Canut claims that Dembele has been put through his paces by Koeman while the rest of the squad has enjoyed a break, telling Esport 3: "Dembele did not go voluntarily to train, but they were duties that Ronald Koeman had set for him.
"It was not a punishment training session, but a session to recover the training he had pending at the beginning of the season, when he was injured and could not carry out the necessary workload.
"If this is the first step for Koeman to recover the figure of Dembele, it is welcome."
Dembele was linked with a last-minute switch to Manchester United on transfer deadline day during the summer, but a move ultimately failed to materialise.
The Frenchman boasts 19 goals from 75 games across all competitions for Barcelona since his arrival in 2017.
Ben Knapton
