France hit by double World Cup injury scare on top of illness outbreak

World Cup 2022 briefing: Day 27

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France boss Didier Deschamps is wrestling with several fitness concerns ahead of his side’s World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday, as Aurelien Tchouameni and Theo Hernandez both missed Friday’s training session. The French camp has already been struck by illness, as Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Kingsley Coman were also absent from the day’s session.

French outlet RMC reports that Tchouameni is missing due to a bruise on his hip, while left-back Hernandez is out through a knee problem. Both players started in the semi-final victory over Morocco, and made it through the entire 90 minutes while the AC Milan full-back got the opening goal of the game.

Hernandez did go down several times throughout the game however after being on the receiving end of some heavy challenges, and both absentees will pose problems for Deschamps. Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano missed the semi-final through illness, and France have since implemented strict distancing rules to avoid the spread any further.

Every member of the France squad has since been isolated and prevented from mixing with team-mates outside of training, while measures to control the spread have also been imposed at the team hotel, with more sanitation in place and workers being ordered to wear masks.

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Deschamps hinted that the issue plaguing France was the air conditioning at stadiums in Qatar, rather than at the training camp. “In Doha, temperatures have fallen a little bit, you have air conditioning which is on all the time,” Deschamps said earlier this week. “We’ve had a few cases of flu-like symptoms. We are trying to be careful so it doesn’t spread and players have made great efforts out on the pitch and obviously their immune systems suffer.

“Dayot Upamecano felt sick immediately after the match [against England]. It happens when you make such an effort, your body is weakened and you are more prone to be infected by these viruses.

“We are taking all necessary precautions, we are trying to make sure it doesn’t spread but viruses are of course infectious and we have to take precautions against it. We separated him from others and Adrien as well.”

Konate and Youssouf Fofana were drafted into the France team to face Morocco but if Konate, Varane, Hernandez, Rabiot and Tchouameni were all unavailable for the final at the Lusail Stadium then Deschamps would be down to bare bones. Arsenal’s William Saliba would likely make his second World Cup appearance alongside either Jules Kounde, Benjamin Pavard or Axel Disasi.

Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga could deputise at left-back, similarly to when he played in defence in the group stage defeat to Tunisia, and either Matteo Guendouzi or Jordan Veretout could come into the midfield alongside Fofana.

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