Hernandez injury and the consequences: World Cup and Bayern chaos threaten
Created: 09/16/2022, 04:51
By: Florian Schimak
Lucas Hernandez tore a muscle bundle against FC Barcelona and has been out for weeks.
That could become a problem for him and FC Bayern.
Munich – It could have been an all-round successful Champions League evening on Tuesday.
But that's the thing with the subjunctive.
Everything looked like it up to the 88th minute in FC Bayern's game against FC Barcelona (2-0), but then Lucas Hernandez took a wrong step in a duel deep in his own half, fell to the ground with a pained face and made it with his gesture that something broke on him.
"With Luci, he felt that something was torn in the adductor area," said Julian Nagelsmann afterwards after the game.
Then on Wednesday morning the sobering diagnosis: a torn muscle bundle in the adductor area.
Bayern are assuming a break of “several weeks”.
In other words: September and October are over for Hernandez.
At least!
Lucas Hernandez (centre) was injured in the game against FC Barcelona and will be absent from Bayern for several weeks.
© IMAGO/Markus Fischer
What does that mean for coach Nagelsmann's team?
First of all, the record champions will be missing their most important defender in the near future.
Because Hernandez was the most consistent central defender this season and therefore set.
Alongside him were Dayot Upamecano, who excelled against Barca, and new signing Matthijs de Ligt.
Now the two will have to form the duo in the center of defense in the future.
Hernandez injury and the consequences - World Cup and FCB chaos threaten
Bitter for Nagelsmann: With Hernandez missing, the coach only has two trained central defenders available.
Benjamin Pavard can also play there, but so far he has been convincing as a right-back.
Should the French move into the middle, Noussair Mazraoui would be in demand, but he already knew how to convince after his substitution on Tuesday night.
Hernandez's injury also has consequences for the left side.
Now there's no backup for Alphonso Davies should he be injured or need a break in the tightly staggered October.
Only Josip Stanisic would be an alternative here.
Or maybe the young Paul Wanner, who at 16 is more at home in midfield and was only tested occasionally as a left-back by Nagelsmann in preparation.
Is the sale of Tanguy Nianzou and Omar Richards taking revenge this summer?
Lucas Hernandez threatens the end of the World Cup - FC Bayern could also have problems
The injury could also cause serious problems for Hernandez himself, because even the 2022 World Cup is in danger!
Should the Frenchman recover in early November, he will have little time to get in shape for the Qatar tournament.
If France's national coach Didier Deschamps calls the 26-year-old into the World Cup squad at all.
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So Hernandez's absence is bitter in many ways.
Above all, the past has shown that the left footer needs time to get back into shape.
In his first two seasons, Hernandez was repeatedly thrown back by injuries and was rarely able to help Bayern.
It was only this season that the Frenchman rose to become a top performer and a stabilizer on the defensive - his repeated injury is all the more tragic.
(smk)