'Not a punishment' - Koeman orders Dembele to undergo extra training

Barcelona Head Coach Ronald Koeman has reportedly instructed French pro forward Ousmane Dembele to undergo extra training sessions during the international break.

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele. Photo: Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Dembele has suffered series of injury at Camp Nou since his huge-money transfer from German top flight club Borussia Dortmund.

The Frenchman recorded just nine appearances for the Spanish giants last campaign in all competitions.

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," Spanish Journalist Lluis Canut claims.

"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."

Since his move to Barcelona in 2017, the France international has scored nineteen times from 75 encounters across all competitions.