Karim Djaziri, a former agent and trusted advisor of Karim Benzema, has claimed that the Real Madrid striker would have been fit for France’s World Cup fixtures from the Round of 16 onwards, having been sent home with an injury on the eve of the opening match against Australia.
The former Lyon man had injured his left thigh in his first full training session with the France team, having been partially rested until then owing to other physical issues which largely kept him out of club action for the previous month. Posting on Twitter, the advisor explains that he saw three specialists who confirmed the diagnosis by which the Ballon d’Or winner would have been fit for the match against Poland, to at least start from the bench.
Benzema’s fitness has been a source of underlying controversy throughout Les Bleus’ World Cup run, in an episode which culminated in the striker announcing his international retirement soon after the defeat in the final against Argentina. His fitness has been the apparent source of tensions between the France staff, their Real Madrid counterparts, and Benzema’s own team – not least considering he took part in a friendly with Los Blancos on December 15.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
