SAINT-ETIENNE, France - Djibril Cisse will miss the World Cup after injuring his right leg in France's 3-1 victory over China in a World Cup warmup Wednesday.

French national soccer team player Djibril Cisse, center, suffers after he was injured against China during their friendly soccer match at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central France, Wednesday, June 7, 2006. France will play against Switzerland, South Korea and Togo in Group G during their first round of the upcoming soccer World Cup in Germany. [AP]

France coach Raymond Domenech said Cisse was in surgery at a Saint-Etienne hospital. He did not give the full extent of the injury.

"Everyone is devastated," Domenech said. "He is in the hospital. He is being operated on. I'm not a doctor. I don't know the exact nature of the injury."

Domenech said he would not name a replacement before Friday, when he is to hold a press conference at the French camp in Hameln.

In the 10th minute, Cisse was chasing the ball down the right flank and was knocked off balance by an opposing defender. As he fell, his right leg twisted under him and buckled above the ankle.

Cisse was taken off the field on a stretcher.

"It's so tough, to hear Djibril scream like that," striker Thierry Henry said. "You lose a teammate and also a friend. But he is tough, he will come back."

Cisse was France's leading scorer in World Cup qualifying with four goals. In October 2004, he had surgery for a double fracture of his left leg in his first season at Liverpool.

"It's tough for the group because we have lost a good player," France defender Eric Abidal said. "He just came back from injury and was back to his best. Tonight, he gets injured again. We want to go all the way, we will go all the way for Djibril."

Domenech needs to call up a replacement but leading contenders Nicolas Anelka and Ludovic Giuly were both critical of the coach and said they would not play for France even in an emergency.

Henry scored his 33rd international goal in the match and David Trezeguet also scored for France.