First he was the celebrated hero, then the big problem child at FC Bayern: Lucas Hernández scored 1-0 for his colors against FC Barcelona on Tuesday evening, but then ended the home game in the Champions League with an injury. Is the defense star now threatened with failure?
His header that put the Catalans ahead against the Catalans wasn’t the only stroke of genius from the Frenchman, who had scored only the second time in his three-year spell at Bayern.
The 26-year-old also did his core job as a central defender very well and significantly reduced the radius of action of his former team-mate Robert Lewandowski at Barca – sport.de rating 2.5.
A few moments before the final whistle, when Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann had already made five changes, Hernández then apparently suffered a muscle injury. After a duel with Barca joker Frank Kessié, the 2018 world champion grabbed his groin in pain.
After the end of the game, Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann left no doubt that Hernández would be out for a long time: “He felt that something was torn in the adductor area,” said the FCB coach about his central defender.
Pavard and Upamecano were also injured
Hernández went straight from the stadium to further medical examinations. An MRI scan of the damaged groin area was made during the night.
“His movement was not quite as smooth in the dressing room, so I’m assuming there’s something there, but I’m not 100 percent sure yet,” Nagelsmann continued.
The defensive star of Munich has been absent several times this calendar year with muscular problems. In the course of Wednesday, after further investigations, there should finally be clarity about how long Hernández threatens to be out.
The Marseille native was not the only Bayern Munich defender to be injured in the game against Barcelona.
Compatriot Benjamin Pavard had to be replaced in the first round after a collision with Barca’s Marcos Alonso. And Dayot Upamecano also complained about pain after the home win and got a hit on his left knee.