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."