Injured adductors sideline Pavard for two weeks, ruling him out of France squad

Benjamin Pavard is forced to take two weeks off due to an adductor injury, Inter Milan confirmed after their home defeat to Bruges (3-4) in the Ligue des Champions on Wednesday evening at the Meazza. The French defender did not play in the match, already unavailable at kick-off.

The 2018 World Cup winner had been enjoying a convincing start to the season with the Lombardy club. While not an undisputed starter, the absences of John Stones and his rotation with Yann Bisseck at right centre-back had allowed him to string together several solid performances in Serie A.

Pavard’s injury is not the only bad news for Inter: captain Lautaro Martinez, who scored a brace against the Belgians, is also dealing with a hamstring injury and could miss several weeks of competition. Pavard, Martinez and likely Stones should all be absent for Inter’s next Champions League match against Shakhtar next Wednesday.

The question of their availability for the clash against Feyenoord on November 3 remains open — a date that comes two days before Zinédine Zidane announces his next France squad. As a result, a return for Pavard to the national team is not feasible before 2027.

Yet at his best, the 30-year-old defender remains a credible option for the manager. The right-backs currently used by Zidane — Jules Koundé and Pierre Kalulu — are not imposing themselves with obvious superiority over the former Bayern man. Pavard had missed the 2026 World Cup after a difficult season at Marseille, but his return to form at Inter had reignited speculation about a recall to the France squad.