Dembele heading to Qatar for treatment on hamstring

Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele is to receive treatment in Qatar as he recovers from a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the Clasico.

Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele is expected to be sidelined until February.

Ousmane Dembele will receive treatment on his injured hamstring at a sports medicine hospital in Qatar, Barcelona has confirmed.

Dembele is expected to be sidelined until February by the injury to his right hamstring, which he sustained during the first half of Barca's 3-1 win over his former club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

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The 22-year-old will be unavailable during a tricky run of fixtures for the La Liga champion, which faces Atletico Madrid on Sunday before matches against Mallorca, Inter, Real Sociedad and Real Madrid.

Dembele's injury is the latest in a string of fitness issues he has suffered since his €105million transfer from Dortmund in August 2017, including three thigh problems, two damaged hamstrings and an ankle sprain.

A statement on the club's official website said: "Ousmane Dembele is to begin treatment on his right hamstring injury on Sunday, alternating between Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Qatar and work closer to home at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

"The entire recovery programme is being supervised and run by the FC Barcelona medical services. The initial forecast is that the player will be out of action for around 10 weeks."