The French Football Federation announced, on Wednesday, that defender and world champion Lucas Hernandez, who was injured on Tuesday against Australia in the blue team’s first match in the 2022 World Cup, suffers from a ligament tear in his right knee.
Lucas Hernandez underwent an MRI in Doha in the evening which “unfortunately confirmed the clinical diagnosis: tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee,” FFF points out in its press release.
The 26-year-old Bayern Munich player cannot be replaced in the squad of Blues coach Didier Deschamps, who will have to play the rest of the World Cup with a group of twenty-four players. He should be out of the field for several months.
In his selection of players, Deschamps had no left-back other than his brother Theo, the 25-year-old with a more attacking profile than the eldest.
The France team, who can qualify for Saturday’s round of 16 against Denmark, has been plagued by injuries since the start of the season: midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, N.2 goalkeeper Mike Mignan and defender Presnell. Kimpembe, striker Christopher Nkunku and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema were injured last Saturday in training by Hernandez during the Blues’ first match.