France boss Didier Deschamps has confirmed that no replacement striker will be called up to his squad for the World Cup to replace the injured Karim Benzema.
Manchester United striker Anthony Martial had already missed out on selection for the original squad for the holders of the tournament and was overlooked again after an injury to RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku last week as Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani was called up instead.
France coach Deschamps has previously claimed that Martial – who has not been selected for the France international side since September 2021 – "lacked in finishing" after a performance for the national side. That is despite a return to form and fitness for the 26-year-old at Old Trafford in recent weeks.
Deschamps has now once again overlooked Martial despite the absence of Benzema, by replying with a brief “no” when asked by French media if a new striker would be called into the squad following the latest injury setback.
This is despite Martial finding the net four times in his last six appearances for United as he recovers to full fitness in a season blighted by injury setbacks. That has limited him to just two starts in the Premier League this campaign, including in Erik ten Hag’s trip to Fulham last time out before the break for the World Cup.
Martial bagged a double against Manchester City after being introduced as a half-time substitute and also scored from the bench in a Europa League victory over Omonia Nicosia, before scoring in the recent EFL Cup triumph over Aston Villa. With the impending exit of Cristiano Ronaldo, Martial appears to be the first-choice central striker at club level.
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Despite the absences of Benzema and Nkunku, the defending World Cup champions have a dearth of attacking options. Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kingsley Coman and Marcus Thuram all form part of their fearsome squad in Qatar.
Martial has not played at international level since September 2021 having previously been a regular in squads, although boss Deschamps offered a critical assessment of the striker after he started in a victory over Portugal in November 2020. Despite his side winning 1-0, the striker was substituted off in the 78th minute.
Deschamps admitted in an interview with TF1 after the game two years ago: "He lacked in finishing – he seemed a little bit clumsy, but sincerely, having watched the moments again, it came down to small margins. He is part of the group of players who have not been here for a long period of time, but he has changed during this period, on the pitch and off of it."
While Deschamps had appeared to give encouragement for more Martial involvement at that point, those words have not come to fruition since: "With years, he has also gained maturity. He is much more determined – he already had quality. Things are more concrete. I feel a bit unfortunate for him because he was not rewarded with a goal, but he is very promising."
