The France national football team was given a huge blow right before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar as their superstar striker Karim Benzema was ruled out of the tournament without playing a single game. France decided not to pick a replacement for Benzema and the official Les Bleus squad still has his name on the roster. Now, a rumour has emerged suggesting Benzema could be fit to play in the Final between France and Argentina. When France coach Didier Deschamps was asked about the same, he wasn't happy.
During a press conference, Deschamps was asked if Benzema could be available for the title-decider on December 18. The coach outrightly refused to entertain the question, saying: "I don't really want to answer that question. Next question."
Earlier, when he was asked about Benzema's situation, Deschamps gave a sharp retort, suggesting the journalist knows a lot more about the striker's situation, in comparison to him.
"Wow. Well, I'm not sure [what to say], that's really not something that I'm thinking about. You seem to know a lot about the situation but I haven't really been following who has been saying what," he said as per GOAL.com.
If there's even a ray of doubt over Benzema's fitness, France wouldn't want to risk him, considering how well Olivier Giroud has done in the tournament so far, while leading the attack line for the defending champions.
Benzema would also want to be fully fit for the resumption of the 2022-23 club season with Real Madrid, who face Real Valladolid in La Liga on December 30.