MADRID: Barcelona doctors on Tuesday warned France coach Laurent Blanc not to risk injured defender Eric Abidal in two key Euro 2012 qualifying matches.
Group D leader’s France have two remaining qualifiers against Albania on Friday and the potential table-topping decider against Bosnia-Herzegovina next Tuesday.
And Abidal has been selected by Blanc despite suffering a right thigh muscle strain playing in Barcelona’s 1-0 La Liga win over Gijon on Sunday.
“His injury is ordinary, just a strain, a stoppage of seven to ten days, but the French federation, considering it not to be serious have decided that he will travel with the team,” Barca doctor Ricard Pruna told a press conference.
“We hope that they’ll treat him well and he won’t play either of the matches,” said Pruna. “If he had stayed here and there was a match this weekend he wouldn’t play, nor would he play the following on Wednesday.”
France are already without midfielders Franck Ribery (both calves) and Blaise Matuidi (left thigh) and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (groin) through injury.
Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna had already been forced to withdraw with a broken leg he suffered in Sunday’s Premier League defeat by Spurs – he was replaced by Mathieu Debuchy. (Agencies)