Shivering before the big game!
Before the World Cup final (4 p.m. / ARD and MagentaTV) once morest Argentina, a nasty virus is going around in the French team. Raphaël Varane, Ibrahima Konaté and Kingsley Coman had recently been caught by a flu infection and had flu symptoms and fever. At least officially it is not regarding Corona.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani (24) had reassured on Friday: “It’s a little flu, nothing bad. You will recover very quickly.”
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The wave of colds started with Dayot Upamecano (24) on Monday. Adrien Rabiot (27) got it the following day. Neither might play in the 2-0 win over Morocco on Wednesday. Shortly therefollowing, however, they were back in team training. Rabiot should now be set once more for the final.
Then: According to “L’Équipe”, all 24 players took part in the final training session at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al-Saad despite the outbreak of colds and flu. Certainly not the only one in the final: The injured Lucas Hernández (26/torn cruciate ligament).
According to the reports, the last trio who caught a cold had no more problems during the final training session. So it sounds like the all-clear in the French camp. Even if it is rumored that more players than officially known might be ill, allegedly half the team.
France national coach Didier Deschamps (54) said regarding sick leave in his squad: “It is clear that it would have been better if this situation had not existed, but we manage it with the medical staff.”
After all: Despite or maybe because of the wave of illnesses, the team spirit is right, the players support each other. Ex-BVB star Ousmane Dembélé (25), for example, reported that he had prepared tea with ginger and honey for Upamecano and Rabiot: “And they felt better immediately!”
And so the French have apparently successfully maintained themselves fit to play once more…