Deschamps will not call a substitute player for Benzema, and the latter decides to leave Qatar:
France coach Didier Deschamps has decided that he will not invite a player to take the place of striker Karim Benzema, who is injured in the thigh and will miss the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Benzema left Doha on Sunday morning, heading to Madrid.
Deschamps told the Téléfoot program broadcast by the French TF1 network: "It is clear that it is a big slap. Karim did everything (to return), and so did we. He was in a (training) session and during a normal movement, he felt muscle pain in the other leg. Unfortunately, the tests confirmed an important injury." So the deliberations started. Will he be replaced? No! We have seven to eight players up front."
France's squad includes 25 players, not 26 as permitted by FIFA, and he said that the national team will start the tournament against Australia on Tuesday, in Group D, which also includes Denmark and Tunisia. Deschamps replaced defender Prisnel Kimpembe and striker Christopher Nkunku, after they were injured, with Axel Disasi and Randall Kolo Mwani.
Deschamps stressed that Benzema's injury is not related to the one he suffered recently, adding: "It's not fun... We already lost Christopher (Nkunku), but we have a goal, the group knows what lies ahead. We have a good group, and solidarity. I am convinced of that, And I trust her.”
