France will not call up a substitute for Karim Benzema, who has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a thigh injury, according to head coach Didier Deschamps.
Deschamps‘ team is attempting to become the first to retain the championship since Brazil in 1962, but they have been hit with multiple injuries ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
France lost midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante after naming their 26-man squad for the competition, but the most severe blow was still to come as Benzema was forced to leave their camp after failing to complete Saturday’s training session.
With Benzema out for three weeks, rumours said France would decide whether to call up another attacker on Sunday, but Deschamps is satisfied with his current alternatives.
Didier Deschamps’ comment
“It’s obviously a big blow. Karim had done everything, so had we. He was in the session and with an almost innocuous gesture, he felt muscle pain on the other leg,” Deschamps told Telefoot.
“The exams unfortunately confirmed too much damage compared to the deadlines that await us.
“Will he be replaced? No. We have seven to eight attacking players.”
Along with 2018 World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, and Ousmane Dembele, France has attacking options in Kingsley Coman, Randal Kolo Muani, and Marcus Thuram.
Benzema has had a difficult season, missing several Real Madrid games after suffering a knee injury in September and then suffering from muscle exhaustion in the run-up to the World Cup.
Deschamps argues that France’s medical staff should not be held responsible for his current injury, saying:
“It happened in the game, not even on an acceleration or a strike. It can happen, it’s never the right time, it’s not a relapse.
“He has a concern on the other side, which prevents him from staying with us. It’s never fun, it doesn’t make you smile.
“We had already lost Christopher, but we have a goal, the group knows very well what awaits us. We have a quality group. I am convinced of it, I have confidence in them.”
Raphael Varane’s fitness
Deschamps provided a more upbeat report on Raphael Varane’s fitness, stating the Manchester United defender “will be available” for Tuesday’s Group D opening against Australia.
Varane had been ruled out of the competition after sustaining a leg injury in Manchester United’s Premier League match with Chelsea last month, but he completed his first collective training session since joining Les Bleus on Saturday.
