Mauricio Pochettino believes Chelsea’s struggles last season are responsible for the apathy observed at Stamford Bridge during home games under his tenure.

The team won just three Premier League games at home in the first 11 months of 2023 under managers Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, Frank Lampard and Pochettino.

Between January and the beginning of December they scored 18 goals in 19 games, though four came in a single, frenetic draw with Manchester City in the final match of that run.

Since then their form in west London has improved markedly. They are unbeaten since losing to Brentford on October 28 and have won four consecutive games, their best run at home in the league since winning six in a row during Lampard’s first spell, either side of the 2020 Covid shutdown.

Despite this, the atmosphere around the ground has been noticeably subdued, with recent victories against Fulham, Preston and Sheffield United, in which the team lacked creativity for long periods, particularly quiet.

Chelsea host Middlesbrough on Tuesday needing to win by two goals to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat at the Riverside two weeks ago and progress to the Carabao Cup final.

“We’re paying now for the effect of the last 18 months,” said Pochettino. “We (he and his coaching staff) are here for six months, sometimes for us it’s difficult for us to compare. We’re getting better results now, but the disappointment from the fans is coming from last season.

“Now people can give their opinion, it’s a bit flat. There’s been disappointment for a long period. But how we feel at Stamford Bridge is very good.

“OK, in a few periods in some games, maybe against Nottingham Forest (a 1-0 loss in September) or Brentford the energy was down because the team didn’t engage the fans. That’s our mistake.

“But against Arsenal (a 2-2 draw), City, Brighton (a 3-2 win), Liverpool (1-1), the fans were really good.

“People believed that Fulham would be easy, but Fulham wasn’t easy for Liverpool. They beat Arsenal. We played Preston, it’s difficult, (their) motivation, the beauty of the cup. The inferior team can match you in different aspects and you can suffer.

“When you feel so disappointed because of last season, you lose too many games at home, the energy is a little bit down.”

Pochettino will be without Christopher Nkunku who continues to be plagued by a hip injury, though the manager reiterated the problem is not serious.

Defender Malo Gusto, who has proved an able deputy for sidelined captain Reece James, is the latest addition to an absentee list currently standing at nine names.

Nevertheless, Pochettino is happy with recent progress.

“In December we were one of the best teams in England,” he said. “Now (but for) the defeat against Middlesbrough, the results are not too bad, they are good. The problem is the feelings (from last season), because we lose the first leg against Middlesbrough, there was a bit of a strange feeling.

“The results are good and we need to keep doing well and improving.”

Mauricio Pochettino hopes Chelsea can use the FA Cup to qualify for Europe next season despite their indifferent Premier League form.

The Blues host Preston at Stamford Bridge in the third round on Saturday and will be looking for respite for what has been a mixed league campaign during the manager’s first six months in charge.

They currently sit 10th, with an 11-point gap to make up on fifth and what would be a guaranteed spot in the Europa League.

A successful cup run culminating in victory in the Wembley final in May would earn them a place in the competition next term, whilst they will also be looking to secure a back-up spot in the Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup.

Pochettino’s side face Middlesbrough in the semi-final of that competition over two legs beginning on Tuesday, with the second leg set for January 23.

But with little sign so far of the consistency that will be required over the second half of the season to qualify via their league position, cup ties during the coming weeks look increasingly critical, starting with Saturday’s meeting with the side currently 14th in the Championship.

“Of course (we can win the FA Cup),” said Pochettino. “The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are competitions we need to try to go far.

“But we need to build our run step by step and the first step is (Saturday). It’s a really important competition for us, because we are not in Europe.

“In the Premier League, we are in a position that we need to grow and improve a lot if we want to be in Europe next season. Through the FA Cup or Carabao Cup we can achieve that.

“It’s really important because we had three competitions at the beginning (of the season) and we’re still in them.”

Pochettino confirmed there will not be wholesale changes from the team that won 3-2 against Luton last time out.

He hinted at a possible start for striker Armando Broja, with Christopher Nkunku fit only for the bench and Nicolas Jackson having departed for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Long-term absentees Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka – out since September and August respectively – are not yet ready to return, whilst Romeo Lavia has suffered yet another injury setback after making his debut in December.

“We are going to treat it like a Premier League game,” said the manager. “Just because it’s the FA Cup and it’s a Championship team, we are going to respect Preston. You will see we are going to put in place a starting XI with all the guarantees to perform.

“Armando is going to be a possibility to play. But Christopher is not going to start. He suffered some issue during the week. We need to be careful with him after the last six months where he didn’t compete.

“We really trust in (Broja). He has an amazing potential and quality. Now he must forget his (ACL) injury from the last year and start to behave normally.

“Chilwell and Carney are not available, we’ll see for Middlesbrough and Fulham (on January 13). They’re doing well, training with the group the last few days. We are happy with their evolution.

“Lavia, we still don’t know when he will be available again.”

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will not be fit to be involved in Chelsea’s visit to Newcastle on Saturday.

There had been hopes that the £52million summer signing from RB Leipzig would have sufficiently recovered from the knee injury he sustained on the pre-season tout of the United States to play a part at St James’ Park.

But, despite being fit enough to have taken part in training with the first team, the 26-year-old has not worked tactically with the squad and will not travel.

Chelsea struggled without the France international in Pochettino’s first Premier League games in charge, with the goalscoring problems that he had been acquired to help solve carrying over from a tumultuous campaign last season during which the team scored fewer league goals than they had in almost a century.

Those issues have become less urgent in recent weeks, with four goals scored on three separate occasions against Burnley, Tottenham and Manchester City.

By contrast, the team had not previously scored four times in a game since April 2022.

“(Nkunku) was doing things with the group last week,” said Pochettino. “But he’s not fully recovered to be part of the squad.

“He’s a fantastic player, top scorer in the Bundesliga last season. He can play different positions, his quality is amazing. It’s really bad luck to lose him from the beginning of the season.

“We’re going to find the best way for him to fit in the team. He’s going to find massive competition. His team-mates are ahead of him, they’ve had four months of competition. He needs to build his form and be at his best level.

“We need to understand he’s coming back from injury, he will need time. We will be patient with him.

“It’s not a competition (the Premier League) that he’s normally used to. He came from Europe, he needs to recover from injury but also to know the league. It’ll take time to perform at his best.”

Pochettino confirmed that Romeo Lavia, signed in the last week of the transfer window from Southampton for £53m, is also nearing fitness but is slightly behind the progress made by Nkunku.

Wesley Fofana has trained on grass at Cobham as he continues his rehabilitation from an ACL injury, though is unlikely to be available before the new year.

Chelsea had come into form prior to the international break with five wins from eight in all competitions, a run which saw them score 19 times having previously netted only seven in their first seven under Pochettino.

The manager is hopeful that the pause will not have disrupted his side’s rhythm ahead of their visit to face Eddie Howe’s side.

“The break came at a bad time,” he said. “It came in a moment we were building a way to play, results were on our side. But I believe we can keep momentum even after two weeks with no competition.”

Pochettino added that the squad has held group discussions about why performances and results have been better this season against the stronger teams – draws with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and victory over Spurs – while there have been home losses to Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

“It’s part of the process,” he said. “We’re a young team, we started to work four months ago. We need to be more mature, more patient. We cannot get frustrated so soon when things don’t work.

“Expectation creates nervousness when you play a team with less quality than you. You take rushed decisions, get frustrated. You want to do the job of your team-mate.”

Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku is set for an “extended period” on the sidelines after the Blues confirmed their summer signing has undergone knee surgery.

The 25-year-old France international moved to Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig for a reported £52million but suffered an injury in Chelsea’s pre-season draw against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago.

“Nkunku has sustained a knee injury which will rule the forward out for an extended period,” Chelsea said in a short statement confirming the attacker had gone under the knife.

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“The 25-year-old has undergone an operation and will now begin a rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical department.”

While the club have offered no official timeframe for recovery, some reports have suggested the former Paris St Germain forward could be out until December.

Nkunku is one of seven summer additions at Chelsea and looked set for a big role under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino before his injury setback.

Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai scored as RB Leipzig retained the DFB-Pokal with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday's final at the Olympiastadion.

Nkunku – playing what will likely be his final game for Leipzig amid suggestions he is set to join Chelsea – beat Kevin Trapp with a deflected effort 71 minutes into a tight encounter in Berlin.

Leipzig were rarely threatened by an uninspired Eintracht team, and Marco Rose's men wrapped up the victory when Nkunku turned provider, teeing up Szoboszlai to score five minutes from time.

That meant Leipzig capped a third-placed Bundesliga finish with a second major trophy in as many seasons, while Oliver Glasner's final game in charge of Eintracht was one to forget.  

Timo Werner spurned a glorious chance to put Leipzig ahead after four minutes, side-footing straight at Trapp following a lightning counter-attack.

Randal Kolo Muani hit the side netting from a tight angle and Nkunku forced Tuta into a last-ditch block at the other end, but both sides struggled to break their opponents down in a cagey first half.

Eintracht's threat grew after the interval, but Mario Gotze volleyed straight at Janis Blaswich when presented with their best sight of goal, and Glasner's side were swiftly punished.

There was a huge stroke of fortune as Nkunku struck first, the Frenchman cutting in from the left before seeing his shot take two deflections to beat the unfortunate Trapp.

Eintracht never looked like fighting back from there, though, and Leipzig put the result beyond all doubt when Szoboszlai fired into the bottom-left corner after composed play  by Nkunku.

Bayern Munich relinquished control of the Bundesliga title race as they collapsed to a 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena.

The reigning champions had their destiny in their own hands when Serge Gnabry fired them ahead on Saturday, but a terrific counter-attack saw Konrad Laimer level things up in the second half.

A pair of late penalties then stunned Bayern, Christopher Nkunku converting after being tripped by Benjamin Pavard and Dominik Szoboszlai doing likewise following Noussair Mazraoui's handball.

Bayern now need Borussia Dortmund to slip up in one of their remaining games – at Augsburg on Sunday and against Mainz next Saturday – to have any chance of claiming an 11th consecutive title.  

It is a rare occasion that a team can win a game by three goals and still feel like they have been given the runaround by an opponent.

That is what happened last season at the Etihad Stadium, though, as Manchester City ran out 6-3 victors against RB Leipzig in the Champions League group stage, conceding a hat-trick to a player who was undergoing one of the most explosive rises in recent years.

Christopher Nkunku became one of two players to score a hat-trick against City in Europe's premier club competition, the other being Lionel Messi in October 2016.

Presumably to City's relief, Nkunku looks set to miss a return visit in their Champions League last-16 second leg after suffering a minor thigh strain in the recent loss at Borussia Dortmund, and Leipzig would therefore be without one of the most impressive players in Europe.

Nkunku came through the youth set-up at Paris Saint-Germain, spending four seasons there after his first-team debut in the 2015-16 campaign, making 78 appearances in all for his hometown club.

He wanted more responsibility, though, often getting lost among the superstars of the Parc des Princes, such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and sealed a move worth a reported €13million to RB Leipzig in July 2019.

Nkunku was not an immediate success in Germany either, but he played 60 league games over his first two seasons at Red Bull Arena, and his development became obvious by the third.

In his final season in Paris in 2018-19, he had six goal involvements (four goals, two assists) in 29 appearances (17 starts). Last season for Leipzig, he recorded 51 goal involvements (35 goals, 16 assists) in 52 appearances (48 starts).

This drastic increase is likely down to extra game-time, responsibility and also the sort of general improvements you would expect of a player in three years at that age.

It also appeared Nkunku was simply getting into better scoring positions, though.

In his last year in Ligue 1, he largely played on the right for PSG, with 48 per cent of his touches across the entire pitch on average coming on the right-side of the opposition's half.

However, just four per cent of his touches came inside the opposition penalty area, which increased to 14 per cent this season in the Bundesliga.

From 2018-19 to 2021-22, Nkunku also increased his output in terms of total shots per 90 (from 1.8 to 2.7), chance conversion (21.1 per cent to 35.1 per cent) and, most drastically, shooting accuracy (42.1 per cent to 70.8 per cent).

That explosion led to some concerns he could have been a one-season wonder, but Nkunku has another 17 goals and three assists in 27 games (22 starts) this season, having missed a chunk of it with a knee injury sustained just before the World Cup, where he had been tipped to shine for eventual runners-up France in Qatar.

He has scored 10 goals across his last 12 starts in the Champions League and has attracted interest from several of Europe's top clubs, with reports suggesting a big-money move to Chelsea is all but done for the end of the season.

Nkunku won the Bundesliga's player of the season award in 2021-22, despite being joint-fourth top scorer in the league alongside Anthony Modeste (20), behind Robert Lewandowski (35), Patrick Schick (24) and Erling Haaland (22).

It was his creativity as well as his goals that won him plaudits, though, with only Thomas Muller (18) claiming more assists in the league than his 13.

Prior to Nkunku's return from injury against Wolfsburg in February, Leipzig head coach Marco Rose said of the 25-year-old: "There are not many players in the world that are as talented as he is.

"Christo does things that you can't expect because he's an impact player and immensely talented... He's got a good feel for when to make a run and can carry the ball into those one-v-one situations. He adds a lot to our game, and his absence has been felt by all of us."

A thigh strain suffered in the 2-1 defeat at Dortmund looks like it will keep Nkunku from taking to the field against City on Tuesday, and that would be a significant blow to Rose's chances of masterminding a win.

Still without first-choice goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, as well as combative midfielder Xaver Schlager, Rose has some selection headaches to contend with, but he still has plenty of exceptional talent to call on.

Centre-back Josko Gvardiol will again be tasked with stopping Haaland, as he did expertly in the first leg, while he also scored Leipzig's equalising goal.

The Croatian found the net in Saturday's 3-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach as well, as did Timo Werner, whose importance will be paramount in the absence of Nkunku.

Werner has 13 goals in 27 games since his return from Chelsea, and his pace on the counter-attack against a City team who often push high should be a key factor.

Dani Olmo is another attacking option who has been out with injury, with Rose suggesting the Spain international could at least play a part off the bench against City.

In Nkunku, though, they will be without their main man, assuming he does not make a miraculous recovery.

At his pre-match press conference, City manager Pep Guardiola was asked about the Frenchman's likely absence, saying: "Nkunku is an exceptional player, but they live this season without him and do it really well without him."

Whether they can manage really well without him again will be the difference between the Champions League quarter-finals and elimination.

Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte have been left out of Manchester City's squad to play RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.

John Stones is also absent from the group, although he has been missing since January with a hamstring injury.

There was no immediate explanation for De Bruyne and Laporte not travelling to Germany, with Pep Guardiola due to meet the media later on Tuesday.

Both players started Saturday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest. De Bruyne was substituted in the 88th minute, while Laporte completed the match.

Meanwhile, Leipzig were hoping to have Christopher Nkunku available after he returned to action for the first time since November.

Having played at Wolfsburg at the weekend, Nkunku could not complete Leipzig's full training session on Tuesday, the club said, due to a muscle issue.

Manchester United are set to be a prime mover in the January transfer window.

The Red Devils have parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo following their falling-out, meaning they are likely to be eager for a new forward option.

United are also six months into manager Erik ten Hag's tenure, which has got off to a solid start, sitting fifth in the Premier League, but the Dutchman wants to keep building.

TOP STORY - MAN UTD SET TO REVIVE BID FOR DE JONG IN JANUARY

Manchester United will revive their interest in Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong in January after their failed pursuit of him prior to this season, according to the Manchester Evening News.

United manager Erik ten Hag was keen to land his fellow countryman following his arrival at Old Trafford.

The cultured midfielder's contract with the Blaugrana is complicated by the LaLiga club's financial situation but De Jong has so far remained committed to Barca despite the interest.

However, the report claims De Jong has privately told Ten Hag he would be happy to move to United.

ROUND-UP

– Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea have completed a deal for RB Leipzig's French forward Christopher Nkunku, which will officially go through at the end of the season.

– Liverpool are interested in Milan's Algerian defensive midfielder Ismael Bennacer and are set to meet with him to open talks, claims Relevo.

– Sky Sports claims Chelsea and Liverpool will joust for the signature of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, although neither club has opened talks yet.

– The Telegraph reports Gareth Southgate has decided he wants to remain as England manager despite their World Cup quarter-final exit to France.

Milan's Portuguese forward Rafael Leao will be a key player of interest in the January transfer window.

The 23-year-old helped Milan clinched the Italian Serie A title last term, netting 11 goals for the Rossoneri.

According to reports, Leao is unwilling to pen a contract extension with Milan, who failed to meet his demands.

TOP STORY - CHELSEA GET JUMP IN RAFAEL LEAO CHASE

Chelsea have emerged as the frontrunners in the hotly contested pursuit of Milan forward Rafael Leao, claims GiveMeSport's Dean Jones.

Leao enters the final 18 months of his Milan contract in January, with interest also reportedly coming from Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Milan may be willing to let the Portuguese depart in January if they cannot convince him to sign a new deal, rating him at £86million (€100m).

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea's planned mid-year move for RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku will not be brought forward to January despite a season-ending ACL injury for Armando Broja, reports Fabrizio Romano.

– CBS's Ben Jacobs claims Dusan Vlahovic exiting Juventus in 2023 is a "very real possibility", including a possible January move, with Chelsea among the clubs in contact with the Serbian's representatives.

– Real Madrid have joined the race for Netherlands international Cody Gakpo, claims AS. Manchester United are also interested in the PSV forward, who was pursued by Leeds United in the last transfer window.

– ESPN claims Manchester United will enquire with Benfica about the status of Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos, who netted a hat-trick against Switzerland at the World Cup.

– Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal, claims Sky Sports. The Czech, who is contracted until 2024 with the option of another year, also has interest from two other Premier League clubs.

Christopher Nkunku has long been inked with Chelsea, with reports he had undergone a medical in September.

The 25-year-old Frenchman netted 20 goals in the Bundesliga last season and already has 12 this term.

The Blues are undergoing a period of change under owner Todd Boehly and new head coach Graham Potter – and could be about to land a big-name target.

TOP STORY - NKUNKU'S CHELSEA DEAL SET TO BE SIGNED

Chelsea are on the cusp of finalising the deal for RB Leipzig forward Nkunku with contracts set to be signed, reports Fabrizio Romano.

The Blues have reached an agreement with Nkunku's German club Leipzig for more than £52million (€60m).

Nkunku, who was ruled out of the World Cup earlier this month due to a knee injury, will apparently pen a long-term deal starting from June 2023.

ROUND-UP

- ESPN has reported that  Lionel Messi has not agreed to a deal to join Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain following reports that he is on the verge of a deal with the Major League Soccer club.

- Chelsea are reportedly not willing to let Christian Pulisic depart on loan in January, amid links with Premier League trio Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal. The Blues would prefer a permanent deal for the United States international.

- Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg claims RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer has reached a verbal agreement to join Bayern Munich at the end of this season, with a view to a long-term deal until 2027.

- Edin Dzeko is set to earn a new one-year deal with Inter, according to Gazzetta. But the 36-year-old must accept a pay cut, from about €5.5m to €3m per season (plus bonuses).

- Ecuador international midfielder Moises Caicedo, who is currently on Brighton and Hove Albion's books, is drawing interest from Manchester United, claims Sky Germany.

- Fabrizio Romano reports Brighton are in talks with Molde to sign 19-year-old Ivorian striker David Datro Fofana. The Norwegian club want more than €10m (£8.6m) for him.

Eduardo Camavinga backed Kylian Mbappe to deal with the added pressure after Karim Benzema was ruled out of the World Cup for France.

Didier Deschamps' side start their title defence in Qatar against Australia in Tuesday's Group D clash, but Les Bleus will do so without two key attacking figures.

Christopher Nkunku tore the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee after Tuesday's collision with Camavinga in training, before a thigh issue on Saturday for Benzema ruled the talisman out of the tournament.

France, who were already without Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, still have a plethora of attacking options with Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele the likely starting contenders.

Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga believes Mbappe will step up in the absence of Benzema, given the 23-year-old is already used to dealing with pressure for both France and Paris Saint-Germain.

"Kylian can do it. He is used to having everything on his back. He's used to receiving this pressure," Camavinga said. 

"I'm not worried about him. On a day-to-day basis, he seems at ease, and calm."

The attacking burden may fall upon the shoulders of Mbappe, who has scored the most goals (43) in Europe's top five leagues in 2022), but Camavinga does not expect France to lower their expectations.

"No, not necessarily, we also have a lot of big players in the squad. There are other leaders in the squad too," he added. "We're not going to lower our objectives. Of course, it's a hard blow.

"But we're not going to rest on that. We're going to continue to fight with the big squad that we have."

France centre-back Ibrahima Konate echoed team-mate Camavinga's sentiment as he urged Les Bleus to battle through injury issues in the Middle East.

"It hurts us. It's a hard blow for the French team but our objective doesn't change, it's always the same," the Liverpool defender said. 

"That's part of football. We have to deal with it and move on, not look back. We have a match coming up very quickly. If we start looking at these things, it could be complicated."

Christopher Nkunku has torn the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee, according to RB Leipzig.

Nkunku was forced to withdraw from France's World Cup squad on Tuesday after getting injured in a training collision with Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

The 25-year-old was replaced in Didier Deschamps' selection by another player who plies his trade in the Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani.

On Saturday, Leipzig confirmed the nature of Nkunku's injury, though were not able to put a timescale on his return.

A statement on the club's website read: "Christopher Nkunku tore the LCL in his left knee while training with the French national team on November 15 in Paris.

"It is not yet clear how long he will be out for and there are different treatment options for this injury. We will provide Christo with the best support so that he can return as soon as possible."

Nkunku has 16 goals in 22 games this season and Die Roten Bullen will be eager to have him back as soon as possible, with Leipzig currently third in the Bundesliga – six points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Leipzig also announced that Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol will not miss the World Cup despite suffering a broken nose in the recent win over Freiburg, while midfielder Konrad Laimer is back in training after sustaining an ankle injury in September.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has condemned racist messages directed towards Eduardo Camavinga on social media after Christopher Nkunku was injured ahead of the World Cup.

Nkunku was ruled out of the tournament in Qatar after suffering a knee sprain in training on Tuesday and is reportedly facing up to eight weeks on the sidelines.

Video footage circulated on social media purporting to show Nkunku sustaining the injury in a challenge with Camavinga, which led to the Real Madrid midfielder receiving discriminatory messages.

A statement released by the FFF on Thursday read: "Following Christopher Nkunku's injury, Eduardo Camavinga was the victim of racist messages on social media.

"The FFF condemns these attacks in the strongest possible terms and is in full support of Eduardo."

Nkunku also defended Camavinga when addressing his social media followers on Wednesday, saying the 20-year-old had been "unfairly targeted" and calling for unity from supporters.

"Yesterday evening, following the medical examinations, I had to leave Les Bleus and forfeit the World Cup," Nkunku wrote on Twitter.

"Now, let's get to work with one and only objective, to come back even stronger.

"A thought for my team-mate Eduardo Camavinga, who was unfairly targeted. The World Cup must be a moment of togetherness and not of division."

France begin their Group D campaign against Australia on Tuesday, having suffered several injury blows ahead of their bid to become the first team to successfully defend the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.

Midfield duo Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante will both join Nkunku in missing the tournament, as will Paris Saint-Germain defender Presnel Kimpembe, who withdrew from their squad on Monday.

Christopher Nkunku has been ruled out of the World Cup after the France striker suffered a knee injury in training on Tuesday.

The RB Leipzig frontman took a knock in a challenge with Eduardo Camavinga as they contested a 50-50 ball and he had to be helped off the field.

It was later confirmed Nkunku will not travel to Qatar after tests revealed he had sprained his left knee.

The French Football Federation sent Nkunku's medical file to FIFA in order for the defending champions to call up a replacement.

He is expected to be replaced by either Wissam Ben Yedder, Moussa Diaby, Morgan Terrier or Randal Kolo Muani.

Head coach Didier Deschamps and the squad are due to depart for their Doha base on Wednesday.

Les Bleus begin their World Cup Group D campaign against Australia on November 22, before tackling Denmark and Tunisia.

Among players from Europe's top five leagues – the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A – only France team-mate Kylian Mbappe has managed more combined goals and assists since the beginning of 2022 than Nkunku.

The 25-year-old has achieved a total of 48 goal involvements (37 goals and 11 assists) in the calendar year, with Mbappe leading the way on 57 (43 goals and 14 assists).