Paris Saint-Germain face a major setback in their Champions League title defence after confirming injuries to Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, with both players in doubt for October’s group-stage clash against Barcelona.

Dembele suffered a muscle tear while on France duty and will be sidelined for six weeks, ruling him out of PSG’s trip to Camp Nou.

The fixture would have marked a high-profile return for both Dembele and coach Luis Enrique against their former club.

Doue is also racing against time to be fit, having sustained a knee injury during France’s win over Ukraine.

The 20-year-old has already been ruled out of PSG’s opener against Atalanta on September 17 and is not expected to return until shortly before the Barcelona clash.

The injuries have sparked tension between PSG and the French Football Federation. In a letter sent to FFF President Philippe Diallo, PSG accused France of neglecting player welfare by calling up Dembele and Lucas Hernandez despite “a clinical situation clearly incompatible with competition.”

“The current practice, based on unilateralism and a lack of transparency, endangers the physical integrity of players and undermines the institutional trust essential for effective cooperation,” PSG wrote.

They urged the immediate creation of a formalised medical communication protocol between clubs and national teams.

The reigning European champions begin their title defence on September 17 against Atalanta before facing Chelsea and Barcelona in a tough group-stage campaign.