Four French players have caught colds, according to the French Football Federation, as they prepare for the World Cup final against Argentina. Defender duo Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konaté, who played against Morocco, fell ill this Friday (16).
Earlier, defender Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Adrien Rabiot also fell ill and missed out on Les Bleus in their 2-0 victory over the Moroccans, on Wednesday (14). In the face of losses, manager Didier Deschamps refused to panic.
“We are not worried about illnesses. In recent days, temperatures in Qatar have dropped a little, the air conditioning is on all the time and we have cases of flu symptoms. We are attentive so that the disease does not spread”, said the coach still in the Wednesday (14).
“The players put in a lot of effort on the field and suffered right after the match. The body is weakened and you are more likely to be infected by these viruses after games. We are taking the necessary precautions.”
Despite the casualties, Deschamps is confident Upamecano and Rabiot will be fit for Sunday’s clash at Lusail Stadium.
“dayot [Upamecano] will be in shape [para a final]🇧🇷 Since Saturday he hasn’t been well, he has a fever and that has affected his mood”, he said. “Given the difficult match we had, I decided to cut him and play with Konaté, who proved to be good enough to replace him at the height”, completed.
“Rabiot was also sick, he got better this afternoon, but not enough, so he stayed at the hotel. We have four days to rest, so he should be better and available for Sunday”, scored the French coach on Wednesday, after qualifying.
Should Konaté and Varane continue poorly, however, Deschamps will be in a tough spot, as he would lose two of his top three centre-backs.
Striker Randal Kolo Muani, who came off the bench to score France’s second goal in the victory over Morocco, assured that the pair will play in the final: “There is a little flu that is spreading, but nothing serious. They will be fine soon and will be ready for Sunday.”
The press office of the French team, however, intervened to correct the attacker’s statement: “As you know, Randal is not a doctor. So, we will communicate the situation of the two later”.
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