World Cup 2022: More France players battling 'flu-like symptoms' ahead of final vs. Argentina
DOHA, Qatar — A virus that hit France’s national team ahead of the 2022 World Cup semifinals earlier this week has now reportedly spread to at least five players ahead of Sunday’s final.
Two starters, midfielder Adrien Rabiot and defender Dayot Upamecano, missed the semifinal while recovering from the illness. Head coach Didier Deschamps said he was optimistic that both would return on Sunday, but defenders Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate have now reportedly come down with flu-like symptoms two days before the match against Argentina.
A France team spokesman confirmed shortly before the squad’s Friday evening training session here in Qatar that Varane, Konate and winger Kingsley Coman — who has also been ill — would not participate in the session.
Forward Randall Kolo Muani confirmed at a news conference that “a little flu” was “going around.”
“I think everyone has been careful,” Kolo Muani said. “The doctors have put in place a hygiene system to avoid the virus spreading.”
Deschamps also confirmed after Wednesday’s win over Morocco that the team was dealing with “a few cases of flu-like symptoms.” He said that Upamecano, who’d started four of France’s previous five games, came down with the sickness shortly after last Saturday’s quarterfinal win over England.
Rabiot then caught it, and “was sick,” Deschamps said via translator. “[He] was better [Wednesday] afternoon but not well enough, so he stayed in the hotel. We have four days to rest, so he should be better and available for Sunday."
Konate replaced Upamecano at center back, and was excellent alongside Varane. Now both of Wednesday’s starters in the center of defense are unwell.
Deschamps said Wednesday that the team and staff were “taking all the precautions, we're trying to make sure that it doesn't spread.” They’d separated Upamecano and Rabiot from teammates, he added. “But viruses, of course, are infectious.”
It’s unclear whether the virus could impact Varane’s or Konate’s participation in Sunday’s match (10 a.m. ET, Fox/Telemundo). It’s also unclear what, exactly, the virus is. Countless players, coaches, journalists and other World Cup participants have been affected by a non-COVID virus throughout this World Cup — which is not unusual at such a grueling event that brings together tens of thousands of people.
“It happens when you make such an effort in a match, your body is weakened,” Deschamps added. “You are more prone to be infected by these viruses.
