Rabiot and Upamecano, sick: France’s doubts before the semifinal with Morocco

The French team seeks to reach the title in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, just as it did in Russia 2018, and coach Didier Deschamps fine-tunes the strategy he will use in the semifinal against Morocco. However, there could be some variations in the starting scheme, since Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano are sick.

As reported by L’Equipe, the Juventus midfielder caught a cold; while the Bayern Munich central defender has a sore throat. Due to these circumstances, the French Football Federation (FFF) had already indicated that both athletes were going to be left out of practice this Tuesday.

In this sense, in order not to lose their physical condition, Rabiot and Upamecano worked separately in the gym. If there is no improvement, the technical command will prioritize the health status of the athletes and some modifications will be established in the planning.

Precisely, Ibrahima Konaté, who participated in the three games of ‘Les Bleus’ in the group stage, is emerging as a starter in the central defense; while Youssouf Fofana, starter against Tunisia (1-0 loss) and starter in three matches, aims to occupy a place in midfield.

The absences will undoubtedly be notorious in the French team, since Upamecano and Rabiot started in four appearances and completed 90 minutes. The fall against the Tunisian team was the exception for Dayot, who stayed on the bench; while Adrien entered at 62 ‘that day.

When does France vs. Morocco?

The game France vs. Morocco, for the semifinal of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, will be played next Wednesday, December 14, from 2:00 pm (Peruvian time), at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. Let’s remember that the French team beat England (2-1) and the Moroccan team qualified after beating Portugal 1-0.