Bayern Munich dispute France calling up Hernandez

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have criticized the French football federation (FFF) for insisting on calling up defender Lucas Hernandez. Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have criticized the French football federation (FFF) for insisting on calling up defender Lucas Hernandez. Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Published Oct 7, 2019

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MUNICH – Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have criticized the

French football federation (FFF) for insisting on calling up defender

Lucas Hernandez for international duty when the club says he is

injured.

"I'm confused by the behaviour of the French federation," Bayern club

chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement Monday.

"I would like to point out that Lucas Hernandez was not able to be in

the Bayern squad for our Champions League match in London against

Tottenham Hotspur last Tuesday nor for the Bundesliga match against

Hoffenheim on Saturday."

Hernandez underwent knee surgery earlier this year after confirming

his move to Bayern from Atletico Madrid but Bayern say he suffered a

"stress reaction" to the same knee after the match against Paderborn

on September 28.

International teams have the right to assess players with their own

medical staff even if their club says they are injured but this is

not always enforced.

Rummenigge pointed out that Germany did not require Toni Kroos to

travel from Spain this week to prove his injury when his club Real

Madrid declared him unfit to play.

And Rummenigge added that in Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso and

Benjamin Pavard, "we are of course releasing healthy players in

accordance with the rules but we would have expected more

understanding with Lucas Hernandez because of the great risk."

World Cup winners France, second in Euro 2020 qualifying Group H

behind Turkey on goal difference, visit Iceland on Friday and host

the Turks in a crucial home clash three days later.

Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, Bayern's club doctor, said he

"carries the responsibility for the health of Lucas Hernandez and I

can say: he cannot play in the coming games of the French national

team and accordingly a release makes no sense."

dpa

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