France striker Christopher Nkunku will miss the 2022 World Cup after suffering an injury in training on Tuesday, the French federation has confirmed.
The RB Leipzig star suffered a sprain of his left knee and won’t be able to return to take part as France look to defend their title in Qatar.
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France will play their opening game against Australia on Nov. 22. FIFA regulations allow teams to replace an injured player up to 24 hours before their first match.
The French federation said that Nkunku’s replacement would be announced once the medical file sent to FIFA has been validated.
On Monday, France announced the call-ups of Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram and Monaco defender Axel Disasi.
Disasi made the squad after Paris Saint-Germain center back Presnel Kimpembe ruled himself out because of a hamstring injury.
Nkunku was likely to have been a backup for France, behind the likes of Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe in Didier Deschamps’ squad.