France’s hopes of efficiently defending the World Cup had been dealt an enormous blow late on Saturday as Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema was dominated out of the event in Qatar with an injured left thigh.
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The 34-year-old Real Madrid striker had been scuffling with the injury for a while and had performed lower than half an hour of soccer in his membership’s final six video games earlier than the World Cup.
On Saturday, he took half in full coaching for the primary time because the World Cup holders gathered final week forward of the event.
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He was pressured to withdraw from the session on the residence stadium of Qatari champions Al Sadd with the injury and was taken for exams.
The French Football Federation (FFF) later stated in an announcement that the injury “will require a recovery period of three weeks”, ruling out any prospect of him being totally match for the event which finishes on December 18.
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“I am extremely sad for Karim, for whom this World Cup was a major objective,” France coach Didier Deschamps was quoted as saying within the FFF assertion.
“Despite this new blow for the France team I have full faith in my squad. We will do all we can to rise to the huge challenge that awaits us.”
The 36-year-old Olivier Giroud is about to profit from Benzema’s absence by coming into the France assault alongside Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.
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However, beneath FIFA rules Deschamps can nonetheless name up a alternative for an injured participant till Monday, on the eve of their first sport.
France’s plans have been hampered by injury
France start their defence of the trophy on Tuesday, once they tackle Australia in Al Wakrah.
They will even play Denmark and Tunisia in Group D as they goal to grow to be the primary staff since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.
Benzema’s injury is a serious blow for Deschamps, whose preparations for the event had already been hampered by health issues.
France have come to Qatar with out the important thing duo of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, their beginning midfield pairing from the profitable 2018 World Cup marketing campaign, who had been each dominated out because of injury earlier than Deschamps named his squad.
Back-up goalkeeper Mike Maignan and centre-back Presnel Kimpembe additionally withdrew earlier than RB Leipzig ahead Christopher Nkunku needed to pull out after struggling a knee injury in France’s ultimate coaching session earlier than departing for Qatar.
Nkunku was changed within the squad by Eintracht Frankfurt ahead Randal Kolo Muani.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has additionally been struggling to show his health since coming off in tears with a leg injury in a sport in opposition to Chelsea on October 22.
Benzema, who will flip 35 subsequent month, had focused the World Cup to cap off a exceptional profession renaissance.
He gained the Ballon d’Or after scoring 44 objectives in 46 video games for Real Madrid final season as the Spanish membership gained the Champions League and La Liga.
Benzema had beforehand been frozen out of the France staff for five-and-a-half years due to his involvement in a blackmail scandal over a intercourse tape involving his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
That noticed him miss France’s victorious 2018 World Cup marketing campaign and led to him being handed a one-year suspended jail sentence as nicely as a tremendous of €75 000.
On successful the Ballon d’Or he stated: “There are things that are still left to be done. I hope to be in the squad for Qatar, to go to the World Cup and do everything to win it.”
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse