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LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) – France right back Bacary Sagna
will miss the European Championship after suffering a broken leg
during Arsenal’s 3-3 Premier League draw with Norwich City on
Saturday.
The 29-year-old broke the same leg in October and was ruled
out for three months of the current campaign.
“It is a broken fibula, the same leg,” Arsenal manager
Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports. “He was kicked on it, it has not
happened alone.
“The guy closed him down and walked on him. I don’t know if
it was deliberate or not.”
Sagna, who was a possible inclusion in France’s squad for
the Euro finals in Ukraine and Poland, had not played with Les
Bleus since a goalless draw in Romania in a Euro 2012 qualifier
last September.
France coach Laurent Blanc, however, has plenty of
alternatives.
Olympique Lyon’s Anthony Reveillere can play either on the
right or left flank and Lille’s Mathieu Debuchy produced a
sterling performance in a 2-1 victory against Germany in Bremen
in February.
Blanc is due to name two preliminary squads before making
his final choice.
The first squad, unveiled on Wednesday, will feature players
based abroad while the May 15 squad will feature home-based
players.
Blanc is already without left back Eric Abidal who has
undergone a liver transplant, and is likely to have to make do
without holding midfielder Abou Diaby because of a calf injury.
France are drawn in Group D with England, Ukraine and
Sweden.
(Additional reporting by Julien Pretot; Writing by Ed Osmond,
editing by John Mehaffey)
