Benjamin Pavard admitted he didn't know if Germany defender Antonio Rudiger deliberately stamped on him after he was left with stud marks on his neck during their UEFA Nations League clash.
The pair came together early on when Rudiger's boots scraped along the neck of Pavard as the Frenchman made a sliding tackle.
Yet Pavard did not place any blame on the Chelsea defender, claiming he hadn't seen the incident on video in the aftermath of the 0-0 draw.
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'I haven’t seen the replays,' Pavard told Goal.
'My neck us really painful but that is part of football. Honestly, I don’t know if he did it intentionally.
'All I can say is that is part of football.'
The Stuttgart right-back felt the World Cup winners were given a stern test by Germany in the goalless draw, and benefitted from more rest after the tournament.
'We really suffered a really good Germany team. They were vengeful after their world cup
'I think they had more energy than us. They returned from their holidays earlier than us. We stayed strong as a team that’s our strength.'
There was significant backlash against Rudiger on social media after the painful incident.
Some called for the use of VAR, while others thought it should have been a straight red card.
One user said: 'Rudiger with a blatant stamp on Pavard there. Lucky to be still on the field.'
One person said: 'That should be a red card for Rudiger.'
Another called for VAR: 'Should be a red for Rudiger, nasty and on purpose. Where is VAR?'