5:32 PM ET
Julien LaurensCorrespondent
France striker Karim Benzema has been ruled retired of the World Cup aft suffering an wounded to his near thigh during grooming connected Saturday successful Doha, the French federation person confirmed.
The 2022 Ballon d'Or victor felt a beardown symptom successful his thigh during a sprint toward the extremity of the grooming session.
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After undergoing an MRI, it was confirmed that Benzema had suffered a musculus teardrop that would request 3 weeks betterment time.
The 2022 World Cup, which begins connected Sunday and runs done the last connected Dec. 18, volition present beryllium the archetypal since 1978 not to diagnostic the reigning Ballon d'Or winner.
France statesman the defence of the World Cup rubric they won successful 2018 erstwhile taking connected Australia connected Tuesday. Per FIFA rules, they volition person until 24 hours earlier their archetypal crippled to sanction a replacement to their squad.
France's different guardant options successful their squad see 2018 prima Kylian Mbappe arsenic good Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Marcus Thuram and Ousmane Dembele.
"I americium highly bittersweet for Karim, who had made this World Cup a large objective," manager Didier Deschamps said successful a statement. "Despite this caller stroke for the French team, I person afloat assurance successful my group. We volition bash everything to conscionable the immense situation that awaits us."
France's preparations successful Qatar had already been deed by the injury withdrawals of RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku and Paris Saint-Germain centre backmost Presnel Kimpembe.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani and Monaco's Axel Disasi were named arsenic replacements.
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Benzema was France's apical scorer astatine the 2014 World Cup but did not play successful their victorious 2018 World Cup run due to the fact that helium was inactive exiled from the squad for his alleged relation successful a sex-tape ungraded with then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
Deschamps recalled him for past year's European Championship, wherever helium was France's apical scorer with 4 goals.
The 34-year-old enjoyed a career-best play with Real Madrid past campaign, finishing arsenic apical scorer successful LaLiga (27 goals) and the Champions League (15 goals) to pb the Spanish giants to some large trophies.
However, helium has had battled injuries passim the archetypal portion of this season.
He had played lone 26 minutes of shot successful the past period due to the fact that of muscular fatigue and Saturday was the archetypal clip helium was grooming with the France squad since they got unneurotic connected Monday.
Deschamps was optimistic that his striker could retrieve successful clip but Saturday's wounded has present ruled him retired of the tournament.
Even earlier naming his squad, the France manager was without semipermanent wounded absentees Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante -- 2 cardinal players erstwhile Les Bleus won the World Cup successful Russia 4 years ago.
Information from the Associated Press was utilized successful this report.
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