November 20, (THEWILL) – Didier Deschamps has indicated he would not be selecting another striker to take Karim Benzema’s spot.
As THEWILL reported, Benzema sustained an injury during a training session on Saturday night that has now prevented him from participating in the World Cup after just recovering from another injury in time for the training session.
Deschamps subsequently confirmed that Les Bleus will not try to replace the Real Madrid striker and will instead make do with their available offensive alternatives. In the absence of the 34-year-old, Deschamps may play Olivier Giroud as a central striker, counting on the former Arsenal striker’s hold-up play and technical talent to play in the faster pair of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Antoine Griezmann and Kingsley Coman are two attacking possibilities for France, but Benzema’s injury throws another wrench in the works for a side that has been plagued by injuries in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Other notable players forced to withdraw from the competition include Mike Maignan, the goalkeeper for AC Milan, Presnel Kimpembe, N’Golo Kante, and Paul Pogba. France hopes to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to defend its World Cup title.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
