World Cup
Dec 18, 2022 3.00pm
3
3
HT : 2 0
ET Lusail Iconic Stadium
  • Lionel Messi 23' goal
  • Angel di Maria 36' goal
  • Lionel Messi 108' goal
  • goal Kylian Mbappe 80'
  • goal Kylian Mbappe 81'
  • goal Kylian Mbappe 118'

How France could line up against Argentina

How France could line up against Argentina

France have been dealt no fewer than three fresh illness concerns ahead of Sunday's World Cup 2022 final with Argentina at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Bayern Munich attacker Kingsley Coman became the third Bleus victim of a bug apparently brought on by the constant air conditioning, which also claimed Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot before the semi-finals, while Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate have supposedly started showing symptoms too.

However, all five players were reportedly fit enough to return to training over the weekend, and while Coman was the last to recover, the Bayern Munich attacker was the least likely to start anyway.

Hugo Lloris became the World Cup's most-capped goalkeeper with a 19th appearance against Morocco and will make his 20th here, but who will protect the Tottenham Hotspur man is anybody's guess.

Konate - who starred against Monaco - is understood to be feeling worse than Varane, who could be fit enough to take his place alongside Upamecano, but William Saliba and Axel Disasi are on standby.

Theo Hernandez became the first opposing player to score against Morocco on Wednesday and should overcome a knee scare to start on the left, as Jules Kounde continues on the opposite side.

Rabiot's return to fitness will spell the end of Youssouf Fofana's brief time in the team, as the Juventus man returns alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Antoine Griezmann, who has created a tournament-high 21 chances for his teammates in Qatar.

Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud are primed to retain their spots in the final third alongside Kylian Mbappe, who sits level with Lionel Messi on five goals in the race for the Golden Boot and could now become the youngest player to net in more than one World Cup final.

France possible starting lineup: Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud

> Click here to see how Argentina could line up for the final

POLL
Who will win Sunday's World Cup final between Argentina and France?
Argentina 68%
France 32%
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