Karim Benzema suffers leg injury in major blow to France

Doha, Nov 20 Karim Benzema will probably miss France's first game of the World Cup against Australia and is in danger of pulling out of the entire tournament after suffering a leg injury in Saturday's training, according to the French and Spanish sporting press.

The 34-year-old, who travelled to Qatar after missing five of Real Madrid's last six games before the World Cup due to a niggling muscle injury, had a problem in his left leg, which is different to the issue that troubled him over the last month.

French sports newspaper L'Equipe and the Spanish newspapers, Diario AS and El Mundo Deportivo, are now reporting that Benzema will certainly miss his side's opening match on Tuesday and could be forced out of the entire tournament, reports Xinhua.

This year's Ballon D'Or winner apparently suffered the injury as he took part in a practice match with the rest of coach Didier Deschamps' theoretical starting 11 for the game against Australia.

If Benzema is forced to withdraw from the tournament, it will be another blow to the French coach, who has already lost N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba to injury.

It would also be a massive disappointment to the striker, who missed France's triumph in 2018 after being excluded from the squad in 2015 for an alleged blackmail incident involving international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.