France is looking to join a select group of countries to have successfully retained the men’s World Cup when they play in Sunday’s final against Argentina. FIFA World Cup 2023: 5 France players injured before final match.
Only Brazil (1958 and 1962) and Italy (1934 and 1938) have ever previously won back-to-back titles, while France would be the first team to do it in 60 years if they can prevail. However, the big concern for Les Bleus in the few days before the game is the outbreak of a virus that has been making its way through the squad and has already claimed five players.
France coach Didier Deschamps has reported players suffering from ‘flu-like symptoms’ and suggested the constantly running air conditioning could be at least partly to blame. Nobody has yet been definitely ruled out, but the concentration of the virus affecting centre-backs is of particular worry and threatens to leave France threadbare defensively.
Many questioned why Manchester United wanted to sign Adrien Rabiot during the summer transfer window, with the deal agreed between the Old Trafford club and Juventus before breaking down over personal terms. But his performances in Qatar have reminded the world that he actually can play.
Rabiot started France’s first two group wins over Australia and Denmark, scoring and assisting against the former, before being rested against Tunisia and then coming back into the lineup for the knockout wins against Poland and England. But the 27-year-old was one of the first to go down with this mystery illness and was forced to sit out the triumphant semi-final against Morocco.
Dayot Upamecano has followed a similar path to Rabiot at this World Cup in terms of his playing time, starting against Australia, Denmark, Poland and England, but sitting out the Tunisia defeat and then not being well enough to feature in the semi-final.
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman was the third player to fall ill. He began suffering ‘flu-like symptoms’ and had a fever on Thursday morning. Coman wasn’t involved against Morocco in the semi-final, but had featured in all five of France’s previous games in Qatar in some capacity.
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The 26-year-old’s sole start has come against Tunisia when Les Bleus were already assured of their place in the knockouts. Raphael Varane is hoping to return home with a second World Cup winner’s medal to add to his already bulging personal trophy cabinet.
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But the centre-back is at risk of having to watch on from the sidelines and hoping his teammates can prevail in his absence. Varane was part of the third wave to fall ill, with the Manchester United player reported as having ‘small symptoms’ of the same virus that has affected others as of Friday afternoon.
While Varane is believed to have only been suffering with ‘small symptoms’, Ibrahima Konate has been described by reports of ‘not leaving his room’ because of how unwell he felt on Friday. The Liverpool player had primarily been a back-up at this tournament until stepping in for Upamecano in the semi-final and putting in an impressive performance to consistently repel the Morocco pressure that was building throughout the second half.
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