France enters the 2022 World Cup in Qatar missing forward Christopher Nkunku. The defending champions lost him to an injury sustained during practice, occurring only a week before their first tournament fixture.
Defending champions France will be playing without its forward player Christopher Nkunku at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Christopher is ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an unspecified injury in the training session, just a week before France’s first opening game.
Given his current form, the 25-year-old Nkunku was expected to be a cornerstone of the squad as France fought to keep their world title.
His call-up was well-deserved, following an impressive stretch at RB Leipzig where he scored 42 goals starting from the 2021-22 season.
His tournament hopes were crushed by a heavy challenge from Eduardo Camavinga. Once footage of the Real Madrid man's tackle hit social media, fans expressed deep concern for Nkunku's condition.
France has officially ruled Nkunku out of the competition. It is still uncertain if the injury was a direct result of Camavinga's tackle or exactly how long he will be sidelined. The management has wished him a quick recovery, while the team still decides who will take his spot.
Randal Kolo Muani is the frontrunner to replace him. The 23-year-old has been in fine form, scoring eight goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season and previously helping Nantes secure the Coupe de France in May.
Just five days ago, Nkunku was thrilled to be named in the 26-man squad, describing it on Instagram as a 'dream come true.' He was eagerly anticipating the honor of representing his nation in football's biggest tournament, making this injury even more heartbreaking.
Manager Didier Deschamps is currently dealing with a wave of injuries; he's already missing key figures like Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, and Presnel Kimpembe. Despite these losses, France can still rely on the attacking prowess of Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema.
Having defeated Croatia in the 2018 final, France remains a top contender for the 2022 trophy. They are two-time world champions and 2021 Nations League winners, despite a disappointing round-of-16 exit at Euro 2020.
France kicks off their campaign against Australia in Al Wakrah on Tuesday, November 22, followed by a clash with Denmark in Doha four days later. They will wrap up the group stage against Tunisia on November 30.