Ousmane Dembele Forced out of Barcelona Training After Suffering Injury Setback

Ousmane Dembele was forced out of Barcelona training on Monday after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Barcelona have offered an update on the Frenchman's fitness:

Dembele has been out of action since Barcelona's 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on November 27. The forward was forced off after 26 minutes of the match with a hamstring injury and was ruled out of action for 10 weeks.

The 22-year-old spent the first part of his recovery in Qatar but returned to Barcelona training in January for the next stage, per Marca. 

New manager Quique Setien had suggested in his press conference before Sunday's win over Levante at the Camp Nou that Dembele was not too far away from a first-team return, according to ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden:

Barcelona will be hoping Dembele's setback is not serious, as the club are light on options in attack.

Striker Luis Suarez has been ruled out for four months after undergoing knee surgery, while the club also lost two youngsters in the January transfer window.

Carles Perez joined Roma on loan with a compulsory purchase option, and Abel Ruiz signed for Portuguese side Braga in a similar deal.

Barcelona were linked with a move for a striker in the January transfer window to bolster their injury-hit attack but ultimately decided not to bring any players in, per Ben Hayward at the Evening Standard.

However, Setien told Sport that having Dembele back in action would be like having a new signing.

"Ousmane Dembele is going to be an extraordinary signing for us," he said. "He's back training, and he's training really well. He's going to help us a lot, having him back is a huge incentive for everyone."

Setien may now have to wait a little longer before being able to select Dembele in his starting XI for the first time as Barcelona boss, and he will continue to rely on Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi and Ansu Fati in attack.