2023-08-13 01:17:48
Vincent Collet had not hidden his concern. Saturday morning during a press briefing, the coach of the Blues was quite pessimistic about the chances of seeing Franck Ntilikina join the group of Blues and participate in the next World Cup (from August 25 to September 10) in Asia. “Even if I don’t believe in it, I hope it won’t be too bad,” tried to reassure Collet while his playmaker was at the same time undergoing medical examinations in an establishment in the Paris region.
Unfortunately, the latter confirmed the first medical opinions. Injured in the right thigh at the end of the match during the victory of the Blues in Lithuania the previous evening (70-76) – their 5th success in 5 preparation matches -, the new Charlotte Hornets player will not play in the World Cup . He would suffer from an elongation which would oblige him to remain in care for three weeks.
“His thigh injury does not guarantee a satisfactory recovery within the time allowed for the start of the World Cup on Friday August 25, said the Basketball Federation in a press release released on Saturday afternoon. The technical and medical staff have decided by mutual agreement not to keep Frank Ntilikina in the workforce. »
A terrible blow for the 25-year-old player and for the staff of the Blues. While he remained on several disappointing seasons in the NBA (New York and Dallas), Frank Ntilikina found colors with the blue jersey. He was gaining strength during the preparation with in particular 13 points before his injury against Lithuania. This is the second year in a row that the number 8 of the NBA draft in 2017 has to leave the France team due to injury during preparation. He had already been forced to forfeit last summer shortly before the start of the Euro.
His replacement will join the group in Tokyo
This package is also a big headache for the staff of the Blues. Ntilikina indeed played an essential role in Vincent Collet’s device and his association with Élie Okobo offered “a real alternative with the major five”, confided Collet. “A new player will be integrated into the group and will join it later in Tokyo where the France team will continue its preparation against Japan on August 17 and then Australia on August 20,” the statement continued. A key player in the last campaigns of the Blues and insatiable defender, the leader Andrew Albicy could be called by the staff. But other solutions exist. Training partners since the beginning of the preparation Hugo Bénitez or Matthew Strazel have the advantage of knowing the game systems. The staff can also call on Nadir Hifi who has just started the preparation with his new club Paris Basketball.
The Blues will therefore fly away this Monday morning for Japan with two fewer players since the interior Mathias Lessort, who has still not played a single preparation match due to ankle pain, will stay “a few days in Paris to heal,” said Collet. “The process is a little longer than expected but we hope to recover it as soon as possible,” added the coach who is counting on the future Panathinaikos player for the World Cup.
But, now less than two weeks before the start of the competition and a decisive duel against Canada, time counts for the Blues.
#Basketball #leader #Franck #Ntilikina #forfeits #World #Cup