Monaco vs. PSG: Bizarre Ousmane Dembele sub hands Chelsea possible Champions League boost

Paris Saint-Germain attacker Ousmane Dembele was hauled off in the first half of Les Parisiens' Champions League playoff with Monaco on Tuesday night, but whether the change was enforced or tactical is not clear.

The France international unsurprisingly started the first leg at the Stade Louis II, where chaos reigned supreme in the first half as Folarin Balogun propelled Les Monegasques into a 2-0 lead.

Just 26 minutes into the match, Luis Enrique made his first change of the night - and a wholly expected one at that - as Dembele was replaced by compatriot Desire Doue.

The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund attacker appeared to be walking slightly heavily as he trudged off the field, but he did not need physio treatment and instead sat straight down in the dugout.

Dembele had a rather emotionless look on his face as he took his leave, following an ineffective first half in which he failed to have a single shot or create a single chance, in addition to losing possession four times.

Chelsea handed possible boost as Ousmane Dembele taken off

Dembele forced off through injury after 26 minutes ?@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/3BiPWWwobQ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Enrique's decision to take Dembele off paid dividends almost immediately, as Doue got PSG back into the game moments after coming on, before Achraf Hakimi levelled matters before half time.

The Parisiens head coach will no doubt be asked whether his withdrawal of Dembele was due to injury or simply a poor performance, but if it is the former, two European giants could be boosted.

The reigning Champions League holders will take on either Barcelona or Chelsea in the last 16 should they get the better of Monaco over two legs, with those ties taking place on March 10-11 and March 17-18 respectively.

Dembele's availability for those clashes could be plunged into doubt if he has picked up an issue, although his absence could even be seen as a boost by PSG fans considering the events of the final 20 minutes of Tuesday's first half.

Who are the main contenders to take Ousmane Dembele's Ballon d'Or?

Few could complain that Dembele was a rightful winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2025, but the France international is almost certainly going to cede his prize to another global superstar later this year.

Dembele has already suffered a hamstring and calf problem this year - as well as being laid low by an illness - although he was just starting to hit form again domestically.

Across his last six Ligue 1 appearances, Dembele has registered six goals and two assists, and the attacker boasts an eye-catching 18 contributions from 24 matches in 2025-26.

However, those numbers are inferior to the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, all of whom will have their sights set on the famous golden ball for 2026.