Poisse Suffering from a sprain, the striker gives up the World Cup, like Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté, Mike Maignan and Presnel Kimpembe before him
Christopher Nkunku just after his injury in training, in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on November 15 2022. — AFP
Better not to be superstitious to support the Blues. A few days before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, the bad luck continues to plague the reigning world champions. Striker Christopher Nkunku injured to training on Tuesday, indeed said package for the World Cup, like Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté, Mike Maignan and Presnel Kimpembe before him.
The Leipzig player, current top scorer in the Bundesliga, suffers from a “sprain” to the left knee, announced the French Football Federation to the day before the departure of the Blues for Qatar, this Wednesday morning. The name of his replacement has not been released. communicated for the moment, the FFF being awaiting a return from FIFA, which must authorize it to make a change in the list of 26 Blues. In the event of a serious injury, the rules allow for a change in this list, submitted since Monday.
A now former luxury replacement
Even if he did not apply, a priori, for a place of holder, Nkunku appeared as a replacement of luxury in the team of France, despite his eight selections, all known in 2022. Sacred best player in the German championship last season, the former Parisian had just celebrated his 25th birthday on Monday at the Clairefontaine training center.
But on Tuesday evening, the enthusiasm suddenly dropped after contact with Eduardo Camavinga, during the opposition which closed the match. the last practice before leaving for Doha. Nkunku left his partners by holding his left knee, in particular, as if to test his support. And the medical report was not long in coming: “The radiological examinations carried out in the evening unfortunately revealed that that it was a sprain,” to the FFF.
It’s a curse for the reigning world champions, who had recorded Monday the last minute package of Presnel Kimpembe, touched to the Achilles tendon. Their N.2 goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, had already; dû throw in the towel, hit to a calf, like the accomplice midfield duo of 2018, composed of of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, also forfeited.
Returning from injury, Karim Benzema has, for his part, still not carried out from full session to Clairefontaine, like Raphaël Varane, touched; to a thigh in recent weeks and launched in a race against time to be fit on November 22 against Australia, the date of the entry into the running of the Blues in Qatar.