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Five of France's players missed training ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, December 18. Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, and Kingsley Coman missed training due to having flu-like symptoms.
Apart from the trio, Theo Hernandez and Aurelien Tchouameni also missed training. Atletico Madrid's Hernandez has a knee problem while Real Madrid's Tchouameni is suffering from a hip bruise.
Since his brother Lucas Hernandez's injury in their opening game, Theo has been an undisputed starter for Didier Deschamps' team in Qatar.
Tchouameni, meanwhile, has taken up the role of a midfield general during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also scored a spectacular long-range goal against England in the quarter-finals, helping his side to a 2-1 win.
Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot missed the semi-final clash against Morocco due to illness.
Now, three more players have contracted the flu. Randal Kolo Muani, the scorer of Les Bleus' second goal against Morocco, said (via Get French Football News):
“A little flu which is going around – it’s nothing bad and I think they’ll be back for Sunday.”
Ousmane Dembele also stated that members of France's squad are not worried about the virus. The Barcelona and France forward said:
“We are not afraid of the virus. Dayot and Adrien had headaches and stomachaches. I made them honey and ginger tea. We hope everyone will be better for the final. It doesn’t worry us. Dayot, after a day I went to see him with my mask on and he was much better."
He added:
"For the players and the staff it doesn’t worry us. We just took precautions. When Dayot had the virus, he stayed in his room the first day and the next day he was better.”
France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged that stopping Lionel Messi in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final will be a difficult task
Perhaps the Lions' share of France's task in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final will be to stop Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain has already scored five goals and provided three assists in the tournament.
Speaking about how his side are preparing to stop Messi in the final, France manager Deschamps said (via Sportz Wiki):
“We have already met him, do you remember [at the 2018 World Cup? We will think about it. Inevitably, there are precautions to be taken to limit his influence. Messi has been in scintillating form since the beginning of the tournament, four years ago things were different of course. Four years ago, we expected him to be more on the right and he was playing centre-forward."
He added:
“Now, he is a playmaker, he has more freedom, so it will be more difficult to mark him. Unless he is sick, we don’t know, I don’t wish that for him of course. We will do everything humanly possible for that [Messi’s dazzling run before assisting Alvarez against Croatia] not to happen. At the end of the match, someone is getting a 3rd star on their shirt.”
France could become the first nation to defend the World Cup title since Brazil did it in 1962 if they win on Sunday.
