DOHA – France striker Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar after suffering an injury in training, the French Football Federation said on Saturday.

The Ballon d’Or holder trained with the squad for the first time since arriving in Qatar on Saturday but was forced to leave the session early with a thigh injury and scans ruled him out of the tournament.

“I am extremely sad for Karim who had made this World Cup a major objective.

“Despite this new blow for the French team, I have full confidence in my group.

“We will do everything to meet the huge challenge that awaits us,” said coach Didier Deschamps in a statement.

Asked on Sunday by TeleFoot whether he would replace the Ballon d’Or winner in his squad, Deschamps said “No”.

“This is a quality group,” he added. “In everything they do, both on and off the pitch, they are united. I have confidence in them.”

The 54-year-old brushed aside questions about the French team’s handling of Benzema, who had been nursing an injury for the past month.

“I know that you’re looking for controversy,” he said. “But everything is under control, (the injury) was not even caused by him accelerating or shooting. Anyone could have a problem like that and get injured.”

Benzema, 34, had a stellar season with Real Madrid last season, scoring 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions as he helped guide them to a La Liga and Champions League double.

He was France’s top scorer at the 2014 World Cup, but was not part of their victory in the 2018 edition, having returned to the team only in 2021 following a six-year absence.

A blackmail scandal and his comment that Deschamps had “bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France” when leaving the forward, a Muslim of Algerian descent, out of the Euro 2016 squad, was followed by international exile.

Since his return to the national fold, Benzema has scored 10 goals in 16 appearances.

“I’ve never given up in my life but tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done,” Benzema wrote in an Instagram post.

“So reason tells me to give my place to someone who can help our squad have a great World Cup.”

His setback continues the holders’ horrible run of injuries.

Their first-choice central midfielders, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, did not make the squad due to injury, as was the case with arguably Les Bleus’ best goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Then regular centre-back Presnel Kimpembe had to pull out with a hamstring problem and coveted attacker Christopher Nkunku’s tournament ended before it even began with a knee ligament tear after a lunging tackle by teammate Eduardo Camavinga during France’s final training session before departing for Doha.

But Deschamps said Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane, who has not played a game since Oct 22 due to a leg injury, would be available for their opener against Australia on Tuesday.

The Socceroos also lost a player to injury on Sunday. Hibernian winger Martin Boyle, 29, was ruled out with a knee injury and replaced by Melbourne City’s Marco Tilio, 21.

Boyle has been sidelined since hurting his knee in late October.

“It is a cruel blow for him on the eve of the World Cup,” Australia coach Graham Arnold said. “He has been an integral part of our journey to get to Qatar.”

Another player who has been key to his team’s World Cup qualification is Lionel Messi.

The record seven-time Ballon d’Or winner did light training away from his Argentina teammates on Saturday, triggering speculation among some fans that he may be nursing an injury three days ahead of their opener against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

But Argentinian media said the 35-year-old captain, who is competing in his fifth and last World Cup, was being kept apart as a “precautionary” measure due to muscle fatigue.

Belgium’s record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku also trained apart from the squad on Sunday and is unlikely to be ready for their Group F clashes against Canada on Wednesday and Morocco four days later, officials told a news conference.

The 29-year-old has made two substitute appearances in the last four months at club level as he struggles with a hamstring injury. REUTERS, AFP