The French center-back pairing Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate have reported being ill, ahead of the World Cup final.
Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were both forced to miss Semi Final match against Morocco due to their illness. Bayern Munich’s attacker Kingsley Coman has also displayed flu-like symptoms and missed training on Thursday. His availability for the final is also doubtful.
Varane and Konate out?
The Telegraph reported both Varane and Konate are suffering from a similar illness, just a couple of days before the final of the Qatar World Cup.
The center-back pair both started in Wednesday’s victory. The LFC center-back replaced Upamecano as he was ill before the match. His performance was quite remarkable in the absence of Bayern’s center-back.
Sign of worry for Deschamps
The English Premier League pairing was key in their crucial victory against the African side. The center-back pairing is expected to be available against Argentina in the final but is doubtful to start.
Upamecano returned to the training on Thursday. He is expected to replace the Red’s defender. Varane’s return is also doubtful. William Saliba or Alex Disasi could pair up alongside Upamecano to partner in the defense. There is also a possibility of Benjamin Pavard’s full-back position. In that case, Jules Kounde could move to create a center-back partnership.
End of Konate’s WC run?
It is still unclear what is the cause of such sudden illness in the French camp. A number of Brazil’s players also suffered from the same symptoms earlier in the tournament.
Liverpool’s center-back Konate was the star man in the semi-final against Morocco. His defensive presence nullifies the attacks generated by the African team. It will be heartbreaking for every Reds fan to see their star defender on the sideline after his impressive performance in the knockout stages.
