Karim Benzema will not be competing in the 2022 World Cup.
The France striker is the fourth prominent France player to be injured and ruled out of the competition, joining N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, and Christopher Nkunku.
On Saturday, the 34-year-old France striker began a training session with a thigh issue.
He underwent a scan on Saturday evening, and it was discovered that he had sustained an injury serious enough to keep him from competing in the Qatar competition.
An FA representative for France stated. “He had an MRI scan which unfortunately confirmed a lesion of the thigh muscle, which needs a recovery time of three weeks.”
After speaking with Franck Le Gall, the team doctor, Didier Deschamps made the decision to leave Benzema out of his 26-man roster.
“I am extremely sad for Karim who had this World Cup as a major ambition,” Deschamps said. “I have total confidence in the group in spite of this latest setback. We will give everything.”
Benzema will be severely hurt by the news. The veteran forward was scheduled to play in his first World Cup since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil due to his incredible recent form, which included winning the UEFA Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or.
After being associated with a blackmailing case in 2015, Benzema did not play for France for more than five years.
He did, however, rejoin the squad in 2021, and since then, in 16 appearances for the world champions at the international level, he has netted 10 goals.
Olivier Giroud or even Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt, who has eight goals in 23 games this season, may fill in for Benzema under Deschamps’ direction.
In his 26-man squad, he will also be able to choose Benzema’s replacement.
On Tuesday, France’s campaign gets underway against Australia in a Group D match despite already being missing key midfielders Pogba, Kante, and Nkunku.
Then they go off against Tunisia and Denmark.
Currently, numerous top players have already been eliminated, and many more who were selected for national team selections despite worries about their fitness are now second guessing their decision.
