Sudden injury knocks French forward Nkunku off World Cup roster

ANKARA

A sudden knee injury has knocked French forward Christopher Nkunku off the roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which begins this weekend.

In a statement, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that RB Leipzig's Nkunku left the French team's training session on Tuesday due to an injury to his left knee.

After a radiological exam, the 25-year-old was diagnosed with a sprained knee, making him ineligible to play in Qatar 2022, which starts on Sunday.

On Wednesday, France said that head coach Didier Deschamps called up Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani to replace Nkunku.

A former Paris Saint-Germain player, Nkunku had eight international caps for France.

Nkunku scored 17 goals in 23 appearances for German club RB Leipzig this season.