Digne? Mendy? Who will replace the injured Hernandez in France’s Euros squad?

Lucas Hernandez’s (28) absence at this summer’s Euros has been confirmed. Paris Saint-Germain have announced that the Frenchman has suffered an ACL tear in his left knee, ruling him out for several months. No specific return date has been provided by Les Parisiens.

It is a cruel blow for Hernandez, who once again will miss a major tournament for Les Bleus, having also suffered an ACL tear in France’s World Cup opener against Australia in Qatar in 2022. It is expected that Didier Deschamps, who will announce his squad in just a fortnight, will call up a replacement for the versatile Hernandez.

There are two obvious candidates for the position: Ferland Mendy and Lucas Digne. The former is enjoying a fantastic season at Real Madrid, where he has earned the trust of Carlo Ancelotti, who described the French full-back as “the best left-back in the world when everything is going well.”

Due to injuries, not everything has always “gone well” for Mendy but his form and most importantly Hernandez’s injury, have opened the call for a recall. The same goes for Digne, who despite being linked with a move away from Aston Villa at the start of the season, has imposed himself under Unai Emery. Neither he nor Mendy were expecting a call-up for this summer’s Euros, with the pair both pessimistic of returns to the France set-up, according to L’Équipe.

However, Hernandez’s injury transforms the situation entirely. Digne and Mendy look primed to profit but there is no shortage of talented French left-backs that will be on Deschamps’ radar. Adrien Truffert may not have hit the same sighs as last season with Stade Rennais but he will be keen to add to his solitary cap in Bleu, whilst Melvin Bard is having the most complete season of his career at OGC Nice. Both, however, represent outside shouts.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle