French woes mount
Socceroos benefit with Benzema ruled out of tournament
THE World Cup champion curse is real and Graham Arnold’s Socceroos could be its major beneficiaries.
France has suffered yet another blow before Wednesday morning’s Group D opener against Australia, with recently crowned world player of the year Karim Benzema ruled out of the World Cup with a left thigh injury.
Benzema, who has been struggling with a thigh injury that has limited him to scant minutes for Real Madrid, joined French training on Saturday only to leave with a fresh injury complaint.
France will have to replace him in its squad, with the cutoff for such a call coming only 24 hours before its first game against the Socceroos, as per FIFA regulations.
It continues a horror buildup for the French.
Les Bleus have lost key midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante before the squad was announced.
It also lost defender Presnel Kimpembe and forward Christopher Nkunku after it, adding weight to the curse of the World Cup winner.
No defending champion since 2002 winner Brazil s progressed past the group stage at the following tournament.
This was the first time the 34-year-old Benzema had taken part in full training since Didier Deschamps’ squad met up at its French headquarters of Clairefontaine last Monday.
Benzema, who last month won the Ballon d’Or, has not played an entire match since October 19.
He and Raphael Varane trained apart from the rest of the squad on Thursday during a session open to the media at the home stadium of Qatari champion Al Sadd.
Manchester United centreback Varane has not played a game since coming off in tears against Chelsea on October 22.
The French Football Federation said in a statement that the injury “will require a recovery period of three weeks”, ruling out any prospect of him being fully fit for the tournament which finishes on December 18.
“I am extremely sad for Karim, for whom this World Cup was a major objective,” France coach Deschamps said.
“Despite this new blow for the France team I have full faith in my squad.
“We will do all we can to rise to the huge challenge that awaits us.”
The 36-year-old Olivier Giroud is set to benefit from Benzema’s absence by coming into the France attack alongside Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.
Following the game against the Socceroos, France will play Denmark and Tunisia in Group D as it aims to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.