Aheed Abrar
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane doubt for France vs Argentina World Cup final
Manchester United star Raphael Varane is a serious doubt for the France vs Argentina World Cup final in Qatar after falling ill, according to L’Equipe (h/t Manchester Evening News). Les Bleus will face the South Americans on Sunday (18 December) at Lusail Stadium.
The 29-year-old is among a number of players in Didier Deschamps’ squad to pick up a virus. Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and Kingsley Coman and Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot have all been affected with flu-like symptoms.
Les Bleus were missing a couple of players due to illness in their 2-0 semi-final win over Morocco. The French managed to get the better of the Atlas Lions despite missing some critical stars.
France started their 2022 World Cup campaign with wins over Australia and Denmark in the group stages. However, they lost to Tunisia in the third fixture of Group D.
Deschamps’ team then took on Poland in the round of 16. They saw off the side captained by Robert Lewandowski, beating them 3-1 to advance to the next round.
Les Bleus then came up against England in the quarter-finals. It was a close game as the Three Lions lost 2-1. Harry Kane had a chance to equalise in the final minutes of the game but missed from the spot.
After beating Morocco, France are now in their second consecutive World Cup final. Previously, they lifted the prestigious trophy in Russia. Varane was a pivotal player for them back then as well.
In Qatar, United’s centre-back has featured in every game for Les Bleus except the first fixture against Australia. The former Real Madrid star has continued his fine form with the national side as well.
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Varane has been a key player for Erik ten Hag this season. He has displaced Harry Maguire in the starting lineup. However, it remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old will come up against his defensive partner Lisandro Martinez in the final.
