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'It happened to me!' - Valverde laughs off Dembele timekeeping

The winger has reportedly arrived late for training yet again, but the Blaugrana boss brushed off the transgression

Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde has defended Ousmane Dembele after the France forward reportedly turned up late for training again.

Dembele helped Barcelona to a 4-0 derby defeat of Espanyol on Saturday but following that crushing La Liga victory made headlines again for another disciplinary issue.

The France forward's timekeeping has been a concern throughout his career, with the 21-year-old reportedly arriving two hours late for Monday's session.

Valverde was repeatedly asked about Dembele's discipline during a news conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game at home to Tottenham.