Let’s see some of the news around the Qatar World Cup 2022.
Christopher Nkunku is out of the World Cup after a training mishap
With the announcement that forward Christopher Nkunku will miss the World Cup due to injury, France has suffered a setback.
The RB Leipzig player, rumored to be moving to Chelsea in January, has already gotten together with Didier Deschamps’ team before the competition.
He fared worse in a 50/50 matchup with Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga at the Clairefontaine training facility for Les Blues.
He was reportedly hoping the injury wasn’t serious at first. Still, additional scans revealed otherwise, and he will now miss France’s World Cup defense.
According to a French FA statement, Christopher Nkunku must withdraw from the World Cup due to an injury sustained in training.
“The whole group shares Christopher’s sadness and wishes him a speedy recovery.”
Christopher Nkunku is out of the World Cup after picking up a knee injury during the French national team's training today pic.twitter.com/mxjiYQ1Gyx
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 15, 2022
Senegal’s Sadio Mane out of first games in Qatar
Due to a leg injury, Sadio Mane will miss Senegal’s “first games” at the World Cup, according to a representative of the national football association.
Despite being forced off in a club match last week, the Bayern Munich forward was included in the Teranga Lions roster for Qatar.
The 30-year-old reportedly suffered an injury “to his right fibula,” according to the German champions. However, according to Senegal coach Aliou Cisse, Mane does not require surgery.
On Monday, the Netherlands will be the opponent for the West Africans’ first game in Group A. The teams will next play hosts Qatar on November 25 and Ecuador on November 29.
Abdoulaye Sow, a board member of the Senegal football federation (FSF), told AP, “We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and winning without Sadio.”
“No one would have wanted it, but that’s what’s happened to us.”
Sow added Senegal should “not whine too much” about the absence of the two-time African Footballer of the Year.
? BREAKING ?
Sadio Mane is set to miss the first World Cup game for Senegal due to a leg injury pic.twitter.com/6SPjD73tqd
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 15, 2022
Benzema provides an update on his fitness status
The France team put themselves through their paces in an open training session on Tuesday night for a select group of fans before their trip to Qatar on Wednesday. Their World Cup campaign was set to begin against Australia in just seven days.
The training session began with all 26 members of the France team present. Still, after 15 minutes of moderate jogging drills, Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema had to leave the group because he was not yet physically prepared to train with the ball.
The Ballon d’Or winner has not had any setbacks, according to the French staff, who also said this was a scheduled next stage in his recuperation period.
After the training session, Benzema told L’Équipe about his fitness level: “I am doing great. I don’t have a rip or a significant injury, just a few little discomforts.”
“I was capable of playing, but not entirely at 100%. So it wasn’t a matter of taking or not taking a risk. All I felt were little pangs. I then performed nicely inside (the fitness center). All excellent because I stretched and ran.”
Raphael Varane and Aurelien Tchouaméni are nearing the finish of their recovery processes. They did not participate in the small-sided game that concluded this evening’s training but were training correctly.
