PARIS (EuroBasket 2015) - Thomas Heurtel is hurrying back to France to re-join the national team as the replacement for the unlucky Antoine Diot, who is forced to pull out of EuroBasket 2015 due to injury.

Diot sustained a muscle injury in his right thigh during Tuesday's practice and was submitted to an MRI scan on Wednesday, the results of which ruled him out of action for the next two weeks.

The tournament tips off on Saturday and even if Diot recovers well, he would be available to suit up for the defending EuroBasket champions and step out on the court only in its last couple of days, at best.

"It's terrible news for Antoine [Diot], he was very affected when the learned about the exams results," said France head coach Vincent Collet.

"It is a blow for France when we know his level of dedication to the team.

"He cannot be 100 percent fit before the end of the competition, so I decided to recall Thomas Heurtel who went through most of the preparation and, I believe, will contribute to the group."

Heurtel was one of the last two players to be cut from the French 12-man squad alongside Mouhammadou Jaiteh who, interestingly has also been called back in the meantime, to replace Alexis Ajinca.

After being released by coach Collet, the point guard travelled to Istanbul to join his club, Anadolu Efes, in preparations for the new season.

Heurtel was a member of the French team that won EuroBasket 2013 and had a break-out tournament in last summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup as he earned the starting point guard spot in the absence of Tony Parker.

When Collet decided earlier in August to choose Diot rather than Heurtel on the final EuroBasket 2015 roster, the coach explained that there would be only limited minutes for the back-up point guard now that Parker is back in the team and he felt that Diot was better suited to fill that role.

France, as well as the rest of the 23 teams that participate at EuroBasket 2015, have until Friday evening to turn in their final official 12-man rosters and will not be able to make any changes after that point.

The defending champions go up against Finland in their Group A premiere on Saturday night.

Go to eurobasket2015.org for complete coverage of EuroBasket 2015.

FIBA