Karim Benzema is furious with France head coach Didier Deschamps and has no plans of flying out to Qatar for the World Cup final, according to reports.
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The Real Madrid forward was ruled out of the competition before it had begun after suffering a thigh injury in their first training session in Doha.
According to Spanish publication Libertad Digital, Benzema is unhappy with the treatment by Deschamps, who is claimed to have sent him home after his injury, while he is also annoyed the Ballon d’Or winner with his comments made in a press conference.
Benzema needed just three days of treatment at Real Madrid’s training facility before he went on vacation and has recovered from the injury.
Deschamps appeared to be unhappy as he was asked if Benzema could play in Sunday’s final with Argentina.
The France manager closed his eyes and puffed his cheeks, before saying ‘I don’t really want to answer that question,’ and letting out a smile as he quickly said: ‘Next question.’
It’s reported that Benzema has no intention of going to the final in Qatar, despite the fact that he is still a registered member of the team and would be a world champion if France retain their trophy from 2018.
Part of his frustration with Deschamps is that he did not leave the camp by his own free will but was ‘sent off’ by the manager.
After seeing that Benzema wasn’t recovering well from his muscular discomfort, Deschamps reportedly hold him: ‘What a pity Karim that you have to leave.’
The 34-year-old attacker felt that Deschamps did not want him and had received the message. Upon suffering the injury it had been felt that he would miss three weeks of football action.
Benzema is already back in training however and on Thursday, he played a friendly game for Real Madrid against Leganes and had ‘no kind of physical problem’ in the game.
As reported by El Chiringuito, Benzema took part in the game which ended in a 1-1 draw with Germany midfielder Toni Kroos getting on the scoresheet for Los Blancos.
If France called up Benzema for the World Cup final, Real Madrid would not prevent the player from leaving. Deschamps was asked about the forward again in the group stages and similarly batted the question away.
‘Wow. Well, I’m not sure [what to say], that’s really not something that I’m thinking about,’ he said at the time. ‘You seem to know a lot about the situation but I haven’t really been following who has been saying what.’
