Despite barely playing since October, France boss Didier Deschamps selected Ballon d'Or winner and Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema to his 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. And while Benzema returned to training on Saturday after recovering from a muscular injury, he instantly suffered a setback and is now considered doubtful for the tournament. A devastating blow to the Les Bleus attack.
Karim Benzema is a major doubt for the World Cup after suffering an injury setback in training, according to L'Equipe 😰 pic.twitter.com/atnDvIZilA
— GOAL (@goal) November 19, 2022
This comes just days after RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku also sustained a brutal injury in training. He's now out for Qatar. With both players potentially missing the entire World Cup, it leaves France in a difficult position. Remember, the heartbeat of their midfield, Paul Pogba, and N'Golo Kante, are sidelined as well because of injuries. On top of that, defender Raphel Varane is working hard to be fit in time for their opening match against Australia.
Karim Benzema played a ton of minutes last term for Los Blancos, leading them to La Liga and Champions League titles. The wear and tear of so much time on the pitch resulted in his body breaking down, limiting the striker to just 11 appearances across all competitions in 2022-23. In the process, he's scored five goals.
While France is the reigning title-holders of the world's biggest tournament, Brazil is the clear-cut favorite this time around. If Les Bleus had a full-strength squad, they would definitely be considered a legitimate contender again, too. But, with numerous players out, it will be difficult for them to make a deep run in Qatar. Kylian Mbappe is going to be relied upon heavily and so will Olivier Giroud, who has reinvented himself at AC Milan. One can only hope Karim Benzema could return at some point after Tuesday's clash with the Aussies.
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