Christian Benteke sweating on Belgium World Cup call-up

By Richard Cooke

Thursday 26 April 2018 08:46, UK

Christian Benteke admits his indifferent form for Crystal Palace could cost him a place at the World Cup.

The Belgium international has just three games left to impress Roberto Martinez before he picks his squad for the tournament in Russia this summer.

The striker has scored just twice in 28 appearances for his club this season and is yet to play for this national side this campaign.

"In the past I have had just one opportunity on the match and I scored," Benteke said.

"This year, I feel more involved in the game, I make more effort but I'm not rewarded. I do not say it's the fault of others, I'm clumsy, lack of lucidity, lack of success too. But I will work."

Benteke was left out of the squad for the recent friendly against Saudi Arabia and he admits it would hurt if he did not regain his place for the World Cup.

"I knew it was 50-50, I'm no longer a kid, I also knew the reason - it's my statistics and not the overall quality of my matches," he added.

"The positive was that it allowed me to stay at my club and to be able to work on knowing why I was not taken in. And to address it.

"If I had to miss [the World Cup], it would hurt me but I would recover. For my family, my cousins, it would be different. It is also their dream.

"It's not an individual sport where I'm alone. The more time goes, the more pressure I will feel, because they want it to work again for me, for me to be there.

"They'd see me on TV, with the others, with the team but I'm more motivated than ever."

The first of those remaining chances to impress Martinez comes on Saturday when Palace play Leicester at Selhurst Park.

That game is followed by a trip to Stoke a week later on Sky Sports before the season finale against bottom club West Brom on May 13.