Mathias Lessort to reportedly skip the World Cup, join Panathinaikos' training camp / News - Basketnews.com

According to SDNA, Mathias Lessort will skip the upcoming World Cup with France in order to be ready for Panathinaikos' training camp.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Even though the French Basketball Federation maintains that Mathias Lessort will join the rest of the squad once he overcomes his ankle injury that has kept him away fromFrench NT's practices and games, the All-EuroLeague First Team member might not make the cut after all.

Mathias Lessort

Position:CAge:27Height:206 cmWeight:113 kgBirth place:Martinique, FranceProfileNewsStatistics

France announced they're bringing in AS Monaco's Yoan Makoundou as a backup to replace Panathinaikos' big man, while Vincent Collet is contemplating recruitingVincent Poirier to the Blues.

According to SDNA's Giorgos Zakkas, Lessort's recent medical tests indicated that the player should remain sidelined for two more weeks in a development that essentially rule out his World Cup chances. Last Friday, the French international center underwent the customary medical tests, as Olek Balcerowski and Juancho Hernangomez had done before him earlier in the week. The results were clean, with the exception of a severe ankle sprain that Lessort had suffered while in France.

Per the same report, even though the injury is widely regarded as common and not alarming, Panathinaikos have come to an agreement with the French federation and the player that he be cut from the World Cup squad in order to prepare for the next season, his first with the Greek side.

In that case, France would need to replace Lessort permanently and PAO coach Ergin Ataman will have the player at his disposal from the start of training camp in two weeks from now (around August 20).

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