SAM Allardyce was today bitterly critical of the French Football Federation after loan star Bernard Mendy returned from under 21 duty with a broken leg writes Gordon Sharrock

And he is demanding cash compensation after discovering the young Reebok full-back will be out for at least six weeks.

"Why should we pay him?" Allardyce fumed. "This is a clear case of negligence on their behalf."

Mendy broke a fibula bone in a full-scale practice match on Monday, just 24 hours after playing for Wanderers in their 4-2 Premiership win at Leeds.

Allardyce had hoped the French would rest Mendy, who is on a season-long loan from Paris St Germain, but was horrified to hear that he had been thrown straight into training for Tuesday night's U21s friendly against Yugoslavia in Le Havre, which the French went on to win 3-0.

Now they are demanding that the French federation pay Mendy's wages.

Big Sam stormed: "What they did with Bernard was disgraceful. It's ludicrous to think that they put him in a full-scale practice match on Monday afternoon after he'd played for us the previous day.

"We rang them to say we didn't want him to play in the international because of his heavy schedule but, if they were going to play him, we suggested a maximum of just 45 minutes. We had no idea they were contemplating training him on Monday. He needed recovery exercises and needed to regenerate with fluid and food to be ready for some light training on Tuesday.

"These are things we are supposed to have learned from the French!

"But they ignored all that and sent him straight into an 11 v 11. It's quite possible the injury came because of his fatigue."

This is the second time the controversial French U21 coach Raymond Domenech has angered Wanderers. He recently advised Mendy that he made a bad career move coming to the Reebok and made disparaging remarks about Bolton.

Allardyce is unhappy that Mendy agreed to train on Monday after needing a long spell of treatment during the Leeds game after being felled by a full-blooded Jason Wilcox tackle.

"He took a severe knock and suffered a bruised shin and foot," the manager added. "There was no way he should have trained a day later.

"He will be out for a minimum of six weeks and he will be a great loss to us because of the way he has been playing. But we won't be paying his wages. I don't think the French federation have insurance cover for players on international duty but they are going to have to find his wages from somewhere. It's their fault."

Surveying his depleted defensive ranks, Allardyce admitted: "It's given me a massive headache after such a great victory at Leeds. I have to make at least two changes to a back line that has been playing well."