Doha, Qatar –
The defending champions France’s World Cup hopes were dealt a blow with the news that star striker Karim Benzema had to miss the game after tearing his left thigh muscle during Saturday’s training session.
The French Football Federation (FFF) said: “Karim Benzema has been eliminated from the World Cup. “After suffering pain in the quadriceps of his left thigh, the Real Madrid forward was forced to give up participating in the World Cup.”
The FFF said Benzema was attending his first full training session with Les Bleus when he had to leave the field after feeling pain in his left thigh.
“He went for an MRI at a hospital (clinic) in Doha, which unfortunately confirmed he had a tear,” the FFF said, adding that he will need three weeks to recover.
“I am very sad for Karim, who made this World Cup the main goal,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
Benzema has barely played in recent weeks and this is his first full training session with Les Bleus.
Since winning the Ballon d’Or last month, Benzema has played less than 30 minutes for Madrid after coming off the bench in a Champions League match.
L’Equipe previously reported that Benzema “felt severe muscle pain” in his left thigh during training.
France faces Australia on Tuesday in Group D, then Denmark four days later and Tunisia on November 30.
Benzema was France’s top scorer at the 2014 World Cup but did not feature in France’s winning campaign at the 2018 World Cup as he was still expelled from the squad for his alleged role in the scandal. a sex tape with his French teammate at that time, Mathieu Valbuena.
French coach Didier Deschamps called him back to the European Championship last year, where he was France’s top scorer with four goals.
Earlier this week, Benzema delivered reassuring news in an excerpt of an interview with TV channel L’Equipe, which aired on Sunday.
“I’m fine. I have a little pain but no tear and the injury is not serious. I can play (for Madrid) but I’m not 100 per cent,” he told L’Equipe TV channel of the week. this. “It wasn’t a matter of taking or not taking any risks, it’s just that I wasn’t at 100%. Since then, I’ve been working out well in the gym. I’ve been jogging, stretching. so it’s okay.”
Deschamps has seen his squad rife with injuries.
Striker Christopher Nkunku was injured just minutes before the end of the team’s final training session on Tuesday night and was replaced on the team by Randal Kolo Muani on Wednesday.
Deschamps is missing midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, who helped France win the World Cup four years ago.
Deschamps anxiously awaits whether his best centre-back, Raphael Varane, is fit to face Australia – exactly a month since he limped off for Manchester United with a hamstring injury.
World Cup winner and centre-back Presnel Kimpembe withdrew on Monday after failing to fully recover from a six-week break following a hamstring injury.
Even without Benzema, France still has a strong attack to confront Australia. France will likely start with Olivier Giroud at center forward, alongside 2018 World Cup stars Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele or veteran Antoine Griezmann.
Giroud has scored 49 goals for France, Griezmann has 42 and Mbappe, 23, has 28. Dembele is in good form in Spain’s top team Barcelona this season.
Deschamps has until Monday – before the match against Australia – to call up Benzema’s replacement for his 26-man squad. Monaco forward Wissam Ben Yedder, who has three goals for the national team, could be an option.
But Deschamps already has an abundant back-up forward line with Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, Marcus Thuram and Kolo Muani.
