French press 'L'Equipe' and 'RMC Sport' have said that France are preparing for their first World Cup game accepting that Karim Benzema will not be available. The match is against Australia, and Deschamps, in his most recent tests, has been playing Olivier Giroud as the central striker. He is reportedly going to play him with Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe up front.
The Karim Benzema saga before the World Cup was not an excuse to not play. The reason why he was out of Real Madrid's games and trainings sessions was because he was injured. Once he joined the French team, it was clear, because he has been looked after in all of the training sessions that Dider Deschamps has led. In fact, according to French press, they are preparing for the game accepting that he will not be available.
'L'Equipe' claim that the Madrid attacker will not be fit in time for the Australia clash, the French side's first, despite trying his hardest. It is a similar picture with Manchester United's Raphael Varane, who is off the pace he would like to be at for the tournament. The next few days will be key to know whether one or both of them will be able to return for action.
'RMC Sport' have completed the picture for the 'Bleus' ahead of their opening match. In the most recent training sessions, the manager has been trying Olivier Giroud as a number 9 starter, which makes one think that his teammate will not be available. The managing team are erring on the side of caution, as experts are conscious that there are still a lot of games coming up. It is not a good idea to cut too short the recovery times.
Benzema has been nursing his injuries since the start of the season. That is why that, despite winning the 2022 Balon d'Or, he has not been able to 'defend it' by continuing his stellar performances from last season. For now, he has only got six goals and one assist in 12 games, starting 11.