France head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that his squad is currently dealing with a spreading virus in their camp ahead of their 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, with two players having missed their semi-final against Morocco on Wednesday night as a result.
France have successfully placed themselves in a good position to defend their world title, having reached the final following a 2-0 victory over African giants Morocco on Wednesday.
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They have now set up an eagerly-anticipated meeting with two-time world champions Argentina, who have beaten them at the tournament in two of their three meetings, although Les Bleus came out victorious in their latest encounter in Russia in 2018.
Although the Europeans were in a jubilant mood after overcoming Morocco, Deschamps has since expressed concerns about an ongoing virus in his camp, which saw defender Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Adrien Rabiot play no part in their penultimate game at the competition on Wednesday.
"In Doha, temperatures have fallen a little bit, you have air conditioning which is on all the time," the French tactician said after the match, according to ESPN.
"We've had a few cases of flu-like symptoms. We are trying to be careful so it doesn't spread and players have made great efforts out on the pitch, and obviously their immune systems suffer.
"Dayot Upamecano felt sick immediately after the match [the quarter-final against England]. It happens when you make such an effort, your body is weakened and you are more prone to be infected by these viruses.
"We are taking all necessary precautions, we are trying to make sure it doesn't spread, but viruses are, of course, infectious and we have to take precautions against it.
"We separated him from others and Adrien as well."
The latest on the situation is that a third player, Kingsley Coman, has been struck down by the virus.
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Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann, who was named the Man of the Match against Morocco, has revealed he is looking forward to the final and the proposition of facing his former FC Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi.
"Any team with Messi in is a totally different proposition," he said.
"We have seen practically all of their matches at this World Cup, we have seen Argentina play, we know how they play, they are a difficult team to play and they seem to be on top form.
"Of course, not only Messi, they have a strong side around him so we know it is going to be a tough game and they will have a lot of support in the crowd.
"We will get back to work tomorrow, focused on it, how we can hurt them, how we can defend against them, we will be well-prepared."
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