Lucas Digne Ruled Out as Another Injury Hits France

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
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Lucas Digne Ruled Out as Another Injury Hits France

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)

A host of injuries have struck France in the leadup to a pair of Nations League matches later this week.

The French football federation on Tuesday added Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne to a long list of injured players ahead of matches against Austria and Denmark.

France coach Didier Deschamps has called up Rennes left-back Adrien Truffert as a replacement for Digne, who has a problem with his right ankle, the federation said.

Digne had been a late addition to the training camp, having joined his teammates on Monday after AC Milan defender Théo Hernandez was withdrawn from the squad because of a torn adductor muscle.

France captain Hugo Lloris has also been ruled out of the games, because of a right thigh injury, and replaced by Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont.

France plays Austria on Thursday and travels to Copenhagen three days later to take on Denmark.

Les Bleus face relegation to the second tier of the Nations League. The defending champions are in last place in Group 1 with two points from four games. Denmark leads with nine.

On Saturday, Marseille midfielder Jordan Veretout was called up as a replacement for the injured Boubacar Kamara, the day after Kamara had replaced Adrien Rabiot.

Deschamps also needs to deal with the absence of several other players including Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté.



Bayern Star Harry Kane Poised to Return Against Leipzig in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
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Bayern Star Harry Kane Poised to Return Against Leipzig in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Harry Kane could make a timely return for Bayern Munich against Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said Thursday that the striker was back training after returning from a hamstring injury sustained in the 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Nov. 30.
“I’m not going to say if he’ll start or not. The final training session is still important today. If everything goes well, he’ll definitely play a role tomorrow,” The Associated Press quoted Kompany as saying.

Alphonso Davies has also returned to training, and Serge Gnabry was working on his return from a knee injury.
Without Kane, Bayern was knocked out of the German Cup by defending champion Bayer Leverkusen, while it suffered its first Bundesliga defeat of the season last weekend to Mainz.
“We’ve already said that we can’t replace Harry one for one. Harry has this unbelievable feel for where he should be in the box,” Kompany said. “He has also helped us a lot defending. He’s one of the best in the world in the box – that’s where he makes the difference. There are not many players who can do that.”
Kane has 20 goals in 19 games for Bayern in all competitions.