FRA - Diot ruled out of EuroBasket

LONDON (EuroBasket 2011) - France have been dealt another injury blow ahead of EuroBasket with the announcement on Sunday that guard Antoine Diot will miss the tournament through injury.

Diot has been hampered by recurrent lumbar pain since arriving in London for the Olympic Test Event last Monday.

The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) decided not to include him in the team headed to Lithuania at the end of the month.

His forfeit comes only two days after centre Ronny Turiaf was ruled out for the European qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games with a broken left hand.

Diot, a 22-year-old playmaker, made his senior debut for the French national team at EuroBasket 2009 in Poland.

He missed last year's FIBA World Championship in Turkey with a herniated disc.

Turiaf broke the fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand during France's win over Great Britain last Tuesday.

A replacement for Diot has not yet been named.

Fabien Causeur and Abdoulaye M'Baye are the frontrunners to fill the spot.

FIBA