PSG defender Hernandez facing Euro heartbreak after injury

Paris Saint-Germain defender Lucas Hernandez is set to miss Euro 2024 after rupturing knee ligaments in his team’s Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund, the French giants said on Thursday. The 28-year-old “will undergo surgery in the coming days”, said the French champions in a statement.
Hernandez injured his left knee during the passage of play which led to Niclas Fuellkrug scoring the only goal of Wednesday’s semi-final first leg tie in Germany. The 2018 World Cup winner returned to the pitch for a few moments, before being replaced by Lucas Beraldo.
Hernandez is no stranger to serious injuries. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee in France’s opening group game against Australia. His latest setback is a blow to France coach Didier Deschamps who will announce his squad on May 16 for the European championships which get underway in Germany on June 14. “I have no news on Lucas Hernandez. It doesn’t look very positive. But we will wait for the doctors to analyse it,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said after Wednesday’s match.

Premier League misses out on fifth Champions League spot
The Premier League has missed out on a fifth Champions League spot for next season to the Bundesliga after the poor performance of English clubs in Europe. One club from each of the two countries who collectively perform best in European club competition this season is granted an additional place in the new-look 36-team league phase being introduced for the 2024/25 season.
Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 semi-final first-leg victory against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday meant Germany can no longer be caught by England. Italy, at the top of UEFA’s points table, wrapped up the first European Performance Spot last month and no matter how well Aston Villa do in the Europa Conference League, England cannot secure an extra berth.
Villa must now hold on to fourth spot in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League. They are seven points ahead of Tottenham but Spurs have two games in hand on Unai Emery’s team.

Tonali escapes with suspended ban for further betting breaches
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been handed a suspended two-month ban and fined £20,000 ($25,000) for breaches of betting rules, the English Football Association said. The Italian international is already currently serving a 10-month ban handed down by the Italian authorities for betting offences that will rule him out of the rest of the club season and Euro 2024.
Tonali had been charged by the FA with a further 50 breaches between August and October last year after he made the move to Newcastle. However, he will serve no further ban as long as he does not commit another offence before the end of the 2024/25 season.
Tonali’s agent has previously said his client, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July for around £55mn, has a gambling addiction.
Tonali has been a major miss for the Magpies as they face a battle to qualify for Europe next season. Eddie Howe’s men sit seventh in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester United in sixth, with four games left in their Premier League campaign.