Lucas Hernandez: "I need the competition from Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich"
Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez says he is keen for Alphonso Davies to return from injury sooner rather than later, despite the pair being rivals for the left-back slot in Hansi Flick's side.
Hernandez moved to Germany from Atletico Madrid in summer 2019, but tore ankle ligaments early on in his debut Bundesliga season. After returning to fitness, he found his place taken in the Bayern first team by the young Canadian, who enjoyed a stunning breakout campaign in an unfamiliar position on the left side of defence as the Reds stormed to the treble.
Despite those trying circumstances, Hernandez always believed he was in the right place. "Even throughout the difficult situation last season, I always saw myself at Bayern," the 24-year-old told France Football. "I always felt the club's trust - from the management, the coach and my teammates."
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The roles have been reversed in 2020/21, however, with Davies now on the sidelines with ankle ligament damage and Hernandez enjoying his longest run of games since joining Bayern.
The France international has started four of the team's seven Bundesliga matches to date as Flick rotates his squad to cope with a hectic fixture schedule.
He chipped in with his first assist of the season in Der Klassiker win over Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 7, just a few days after scoring his first goal for the club in the 6-2 UEFA Champions League triumph away to Red Bull Salzburg.
"Lucas has produced very consistent performances and he's at a very good level," said Flick earlier this season. "His aggression does us a lot of good."
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Despite his upward trajectory, Hernandez is eager for Davies to return to fitness so that they can mutually spur each other on. "I need the competition for places in order to improve," he said. "With his speed, technique and positioning, [Davies] was the best left-back in the world."
Not only that, Hernandez is also determined to leave a legacy at the Allianz Arena: "I've still got four more years on my contract here. I don't just want to stay here, I want to make a name for myself and be part of the team in the long term."
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