Bayern Munich have confirmed Lucas Hernandez will not play football again until summer following successful knee surgery.
Bayern confirmed in a press release on Wednesday afternoon that they would pay €80m for Lucas and tie him down to a five-year contract, starting on July 1.
The club have since clarified that the France international will continue his recovery from a knee injury in Bavaria and will not play for Atleti again.
“The surgery went really, really well,” Kovac told reporters, as cited by ESPN.
“In agreement with Atletico, he will work on his recovery in Munich.
“If everything goes to plan, he should return in time for our first match of the new season [in August]. Our doctor told us that this is an injury with which you can sign a contract.
“We still have two goals: the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
“It's not relevant to me right now what happens from July 1. This will only become an issue from July 1 onwards.”
The 23-year-old only signed a new contract with Los Colchoneros last June but has been swayed by the project on offer in Bavaria.
Hernandez has gone on to make 110 appearances for Atleti since his debut in December 2015, winning a Europa League and European Super Cup.
Equally adept at left-back and centre-back, he was also part of the France team who won the World Cup in Russia.
Lucas is the second French World Cup-winning defender to be joining the German giants this summer after Stuttgart’s Benjamin Pavard.
