<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">France's hopes of successfully defending the World Cup were dealt a huge blow late on Saturday as Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema was ruled out of the tournament in Qatar with an injured left thigh.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 34-year-old Real Madrid striker had been struggling with the injury for some time and had played less than half an hour of football in his club's last six games before the World Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday, he took part in full training for the first time since the World Cup holders gathered last week ahead of the tournament.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He was forced to withdraw from the session at the home stadium of Qatari champions Al Sadd with the injury and was taken for tests.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The French Football Federation (FFF) later 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.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I am extremely sad for Karim, for whom this World Cup was a major objective," France coach Didier Deschamps was quoted as saying in the FFF statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"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."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">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.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, under FIFA rules Deschamps can still call up a replacement for an injured player until Monday, on the eve of their first game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">France begin their defence of the trophy on Tuesday, when they take on Australia in Al Wakrah.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They will also play Denmark and Tunisia in Group D as they aim to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>- Pogba, Kante, Nkunku already out -</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Benzema's injury is a major blow for Deschamps, whose preparations for the tournament had already been hampered by fitness problems.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">France have come to Qatar without the key duo of Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, their starting midfield pairing from the successful 2018 World Cup campaign, who were both ruled out due to injury before Deschamps named his squad.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back-up goalkeeper Mike Maignan and centre-back Presnel Kimpembe also withdrew before RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku had to pull out after suffering a knee injury in France's final training session before departing for Qatar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nkunku was replaced in the squad by Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has also been struggling to prove his fitness since coming off in tears with a leg injury in a game against Chelsea on October 22.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Benzema, who will turn 35 next month, had targeted the World Cup to cap off a remarkable career renaissance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He won the Ballon d'Or after scoring 44 goals in 46 games for Real Madrid last season as the Spanish club won the Champions League and La Liga.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Benzema had previously been frozen out of the France team for five-and-a-half years because of his involvement in a blackmail scandal over a sex tape involving his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That saw him miss France's victorious 2018 World Cup campaign and led to him being handed a one-year suspended prison sentence as well as a fine of 75,000 euros.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On winning the Ballon d'Or he said: "There are things that are still left to be done. I hope to be in the squad for Qatar, to go to the World Cup and do everything to win it." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>