PROFILE | Lucas Hernández bounces back from injury to impose himself at PSG

While his brother Theo may be gaining more plaudits at Milan, Lucas Hernández is slowly putting himself back into the foray after enduring a difficult end to his career at Bayern Munich.

After suffering an ACL rupture in his right knee during the first 20 minutes of France’s World Cup campaign, Hernández missed the remainder of the tournament, and would also be sidelined for the remainder of the 2022/23 season as Bayern Munich became Bundesliga champions for a record eleventh consecutive season. The Frenchman didn’t feature for Bayern between January and June, missing a total of 35 games for France and the Rekordmeister with his presence in defence evident .

After a difficult start to life in Bavaria after a then club record €80m move from Atlético Madrid in 2019, Hernández established himself as one of Bayern’s influential figures in defence following the departures of Jérôme Boateng and David Alaba. With exceptional decision-making, composure and ability to read the game, the Frenchman featured 107 times for Bayern over the course of his tenure. But with an expiring contract, Bayern were reluctant to lose Hernández on a free transfer.

Talks between Bayern and Hernández’s representatives opened in March with the Allianz Arena outfit showcasing their intent on keeping the Frenchman, even despite his injury record. But in June, despite a three-year contract extension on the table, Bayern were dealt a blow when the defender told the club that he wished to leave after four years to join French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

As PSG pursued Hernández, this was met with hostility from some of the club’s fanbase, including ultra group leader Romain Mabille , who were against his signing. As we reported in the summer, Mabille