Bayern Munich: Lucas Hernandez eyeing return before end of the season
The first half of March has been productive for Bayern Munich. They have enjoyed an upturn in their Bundesliga form after a shaky start to Ruckrunde. The Bavarian club has also booked a place in the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal and Champions League.
Julian Nagelsmann has also received a necessary injury boost during the first three weeks of March. Noussair Mazraoui and Sadio Mane returned to action after being on the sidelines for more than two months. The German coach may also have one more player return to action before the end of the season if they go deep in both cup competitions.
According to Sport1, Lucas Hernandez is eyeing a return to action by the end of the season. The French defender is hoping to play in DFB Pokal and Champions League finals in the first week of June. The DFB Pokal final will take place on June 3 in Berlin, while the CL final will be in Istanbul on June 10. Bayern has a long way to go in both competitions as they face Freiburg in the DFB Pokal quarter-final at the start of April, while the CL quarter-final is against Manchester City.
Hernandez has been on the sidelines since the start of the World Cup in November. The French defender ruptured his cruciate ligament during the opening group game against Australia. He underwent surgery to fix the issue and faced a spell out of action for close to six months.
After a successful surgery in November, Lucas Hernandez started light running on the pitch in the last few days. There is still a long way to go in his recovery process, but Sport1 reports that the French defender is making positive strides toward achieving complete fitness before the end of the season.
In an ideal scenario, Hernandez gets a chance to make his return in both cup finals. However, Bayern will not be thinking too far ahead since they face a difficult route to the Champions League final. After the quarter-final against Manchester City, the Bavarian club will face Real Madrid/Chelsea in the semi-final.
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Meanwhile, Bayern continues to hold talks with Lucas Hernandez over a new contract. The French defender is a crucial player for Nagelsmann, so Die Roten wants to secure his future. Hernandez is also eager to stay in Bavaria, so contract talks are progressing in the right direction. Bayern will be hoping to reach an agreement with Hernandez before the end of the season.