Bayern Munich: Lucas Hernandez considered retirement after rupturing ACL in WC 2022
The World Cup 2022 turned out to be a nightmare tournament for Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez. After working hard to get fit for the showpiece event in Qatar, Hernandez could only play a few minutes for France against Australia in the first game of Group D. Hernandez ruptured his ACL in the right knee, which effectively ruled him out of the remaining games in the tournament.
Hernandez underwent surgery on his knee and started the long recovery process for the injury. The immediate response from Hernandez after rupturing his ACL was an emotional one. According to L’Equipe (via GGFN), the French defender considered retiring from football due to this injury. However, his family managed to convince him to continue his playing career.
The French international already had a long layoff due to injury this season after he was ruled out for six weeks due to an adductor injury in mid-September. He worked hard to recover by the end of October and play a few games to be rhythm for the World Cup. It is normal to see him react impulsively after rupturing his ACL since it is mentally taxing to make comebacks from such types of injuries.
Lucas Hernandez previously suffered a serious ligament injury in 2018/19. He was on the sidelines for more than six months at that time, but Bayern had gone ahead with completing a deal for him. The French defender has been a solid player for Die Roten. Talks over his contract renewal will continue in the second half of the season as Rekordmeister is eager to secure his future.
Meanwhile, Die Roten will rely on existing center-back options to fill the void caused due to Hernandez’s injury. The Bavarian club has ruled out signing a new central defender in January as they are firmly focussing on summer transfers.
Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano will be the first choice pairing for Julian Nagelsmann in Ruckrunde. Benjamin Pavard will also get ample number of opportunities in central defense. The French defender prefers playing in central defense over the right-back position. Joshua Kimmich and Josip Stanisic are emergency center-back options in the current squad.
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Apart from Hernandez, Bayern has also lost Sadio Mane to a serious injury. The 30-year-old forward injured his tibia during Die Roten’s 6-1 win against Werder Bremen two weeks ago. He is expected to be out for 2-3 months. Mathys Tel is likely to get more opportunities in the absence of Mane.