Bamba out of tournament after suffering ligament damage

Jonathan Bamba has been ruled out of the remainder of the European Under-21 Championship after suffering ankle ligament damage in France's win over England.

Lille winger Bamba was substituted with around 25 minutes remaining in Cesena on Tuesday after an awful challenge from Hamza Choudhury that saw France awarded their second penalty of the match. Choudhury was initially booked before a VAR review saw the punishment upgraded to a red card.

Although France missed the penalty, a late strike from Jonathan Ikone and Aaron Wan-Bissaka's stoppage-time own goal saw them rescue a dramatic 2-1 win. However, Sylvain Ripoll's side will be without Bamba for their coming matches after scans confirmed a ligament injury but no fracture.

 

June 19, 2019

Leicester City midfielder Choudhury said of the incident: "Watching back, it looked like I was over-aggressive. It wasn't malicious and I didn't want to hurt him whatsoever.

"I saw the ball and tried to take it but I mistimed it. I don't think I have ever felt worse in my footballing career so far than I do right now. I have let the lads down. I have let the country down. I understand playing at this level comes with a certain pressure. I will go back and think about it. The next time I get in that situation, I won't make that tackle. Right now, I am just upset and I feel like I have let the side down."