Europe 1 with AFP 6:37 p.m., December 8, 2022
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, forfeited from the 2022 FIFA World Cup after injury in Qatar on the eve of the opening match, will resume training with the Merengues on Saturday, his coach Carlo Ancelotti announced on Thursday in a interview with the newspaper Il Corriere dello Sport.
His return is imminent!
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, forfeited for the FIFA World Cup after an injury during collective training with the Blues which occurred the day before the match against Australia, will resume training with the Merengues on Saturday.
The Ballon d'Or "returns on Saturday", replied the technician with a smile, when asked about his state of health.
"We are going to put him back in the saddle".
That day, the Blues are playing their quarter-final against England in Doha.
The 34-year-old striker withdrew from the World Cup on November 19 after suffering a thigh injury in training.
His recovery time had been estimated at three weeks by the French Federation.
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Always present administratively
Not replaced by Didier Deschamps, the Madrid native is still present administratively in the official list of the Blues at the World Cup.
Solicited by AFP, Fifa specified that in the event of a coronation, it would award a medal to each player and that Benzema "would be entitled" to one of them, but that the decision to consider him as world champion ultimately returned to the French selection.
The disappointment caused by his withdrawal was immense for the striker, whose 2021-2022 season was brilliant: with 44 goals in 46 club matches, the center-forward carried Real to their 35th league title and their 14th crown in the Champions League.
Since March 2022, he has also been the top French scorer in history with more than 400 professional goals, ahead of Thierry Henry.