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Three France (opens in new tab) players are reportedly training separately from their teammates as a virus continues to affect Les Bleus’ preparations for Sunday’s World Cup 2022 (opens in new tab) final against Argentina (opens in new tab).
The virus – which manager Didier Deschamps has blamed on the air conditioning at stadiums in Qatar (opens in new tab) – kept Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot out of Wednesday’s semi-final win over Morocco.
Upamecano and Rabiot have since resumed training with the rest of the squad, but – as reported by the Guardian (opens in new tab) – Kingsley Coman, Ibrahima Konate and Raphael Varane have been kept away from the main group after falling ill.
Should Konate and Varane – who partnered each other at centre-back against Morocco – not be fit for the final, Deschamps will find himself facing something of a crisis in defence.
It may mean an unexpected start for Arsenal’s William Saliba, whose only action at the tournament so far was a 27-minute cameo in the 1-0 group-stage loss to Tunisia (which came after France had already booked their place in the last 16).
That was only Saliba’s eighth senior cap; the 21-year-old – who has been a breakout star for Arsenal this season after several loan spells back in France – has started just two competitive international games.
France are looking become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup; if they pull it off, Deschamps will become only the second coach to win the World Cup multiple times.
