Jordi Alba Says Ousmane Dembele Has Never Been a Problem in the Dressing Room

Barcelona defender Jordi Alba says Ousmane Dembele has never been a problem in the dressing room at the Camp Nou. 

"He is very important for us, everyone can make mistakes but in the dressing room there has never been a problem with Dembele," he said, per Jordi Casamayor at Marca. "He is succeeding on the pitch and away from it he can improve but we are happy with him."

Dembele has come under scrutiny for his off-field behaviour this season. He was two hours late for training on Sunday, according to Sam Marsden at ESPN FC.

The 21-year-old also missed training earlier in November after a late-night gaming session, per Javier Miguel at AS. The incident "sparked deep concern" at Barcelona over the youngster's professionalism.

However, despite the incidents of ill-discipline Dembele has been starring on the pitch for Barcelona. The France international has nine goals and four assists in all competitions for the Spanish champions.

Opta noted how impressive he's been on the ball:

Squawka Football highlighted how he's in red-hot form:

Manager Ernesto Valverde seemed quite relaxed when asked about Dembele's tardiness after Barcelona's 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday:

Midfielder Carles Alena has said that Dembele said sorry to his team-mates for his lack of punctuality before the Spurs match, according to at Lluis Mascaro at Sport.

"He apologised to the dressing room," he said. "We accepted it. He knows he's done wrong. He's a good kid, we're with him until the end. We have to show him affection."

While Dembele's off-field issues will be of concern for Barcelona, they can have few complaints about the quality he has been providing on the pitch so far this season.