Real Madrid News
Deschamps on the possibility of recalling Benzema for World Cup final: “Will not answer”
France booked their place in the finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 after securing a 2-0 win over tournament darkhorses Morocco on Wednesday night.
Former Real Madrid defender Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani were on target for the reigning world champions as they set up a date with Lionel Messi and Argentina for the finals later this weekend.
Following their progression to the grand finale, manager Didier Deschamps, who could lead France to back-to-back World Cup triumphs, spoke to the media. And during the interaction, the inevitable questions about a certain Karim Benzema popped up.
The 34-year-old striker was sent back from Qatar after he picked up a thigh injury right before the World Cup started. However, with France opting not to name a replacement, the Real Madrid captain still remains on the squad list.
Recent reports suggested that the decision to send Benzema back was made in haste as he had recovered sufficiently in time to feature for France in the knockout stages.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has completed his recovery fully now and completed five training sessions with Real Madrid. Furthermore, he is expected to play some part in Los Blancos’ friendly against Leganes later tonight.
Given that his name is still on the France squad list, Deschamps was asked if he would recall Benzema to Qatar now that they had made it to the finals and the centre-forward was fully fit.
However, the France manager made his thought about such a move clear as he responded curtly, saying: “I will not answer, next question.”
France have not exactly felt the absence of Benzema as Olivier Giroud has performed well as the striker while Kylian Mbappe has been producing the goods in front of goal as well, with Antoine Griezmann pulling the strings from behind.
So, it does seem extremely unlikely that Deschamps will be making a late call for Benzema to join the rest of the France squad for the World Cup final.
However, some reports suggest that the Real Madrid superstar could still receive a medal if Les Bleus go on to win as his name is still on the squad list.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
