Unsurprisingly, Karim Benzema has officially withdrawn from the 2022 World Cup. The France team striker was injured this Saturday for his return to collective training.
“Hit in the quadriceps of the left thigh, the Real Madrid striker is forced to give up participating in the World Cup“, indicated the French Football Federation (FFF) through a press release, specifying that the MRI taken in the evening at the Aspetar clinic in Doha has “confirmed a lesion of the rectus femoris, which will require a recovery period of three weeks.”
Absent during the coronation in 2018 because then dismissed following the affair of the sextape of Mathieu Valbuena, the recent Ballon d’Or based a lot of hope on this World Cup which was likely to be his last at 34 years old. The tricolor coach Didier Deschamps therefore tried to find the right words to bring him comfort.
“I am extremely sad for Karim who made this World Cup a major goal.“, reacted the technician on the official website of the FFF, before reboosting his group. “Despite this new blow for the French team, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything to meet the immense challenge that awaits us.»
A replacement called by Monday evening?
With the withdrawals of Mike Maignan, Presnel Kimpembe, N’Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba, Christopher Nkunku and now Benzema, it is indeed a real carnage that falls on the defending champions and all lines are affected… While this package could open the doors of the starting lineup to Olivier Giroud, Deschamps has until Monday evening, 24 hours before the start of the World Cup against Australia, to call on a replacement for Benzema if he wishes. Within his list of 25 players, besides Giroud, Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani are also capable of playing in the same position as Benzema.
