Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: France, Football World Cup, Football, Morocco
Ryan Sidle
France could be without two of their starting line-up from the quarter-final win over England, when they face Morocco on Wednesday night.
With just over 24 hours to go until France take on Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium, in the World Cup semi-final, Didier Deschamps is being forced to reconsider his XI for the game.
According to the Sun, Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot both sat out of training on Tuesday, will illness, and are serious doubts for the game.
It is awful preparation for Deschamps ahead of such a huge game, as they attempt to become the first team to defend the title since Brazil in 1962.
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Centre back Upamecano is said to be suffering with a sore throat, with central midfielder Rabiot reportedly 'under the weather.'
Whilst neither sounds particularly serious, it could be that they're developing more intense symptoms of a cold ahead of the match.
The big worry for Deschamps will be any of his other players coming down with similar illnesses and leaving his starting lineup even more destroyed.
The 2018 World Cup winners were already somewhat decimated at the start of the tournament with N'Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Christopher Nkunku all ruled out.
Left back Lucas Hernandez then picked up an ACL injury just 13 minutes into their opening game of the tournament, against Australia, that left him questioning his career.
Ibrahima Konate and Youssouf Fofana are said to be on standby to start the last four game on Wednesday night, if Deschamps two starters don't get better.
Rabiot certainly had plenty in common with many England players and fans on the weekend, as he also criticised referee Wilton Sampaio.
However, the Juventus midfielder, who nearly joined Manchester United last summer, was criticial that the Brazilian official decided to overturn the decision to award the Three Lions a second penalty.
Harry Kane missed the spot kick, and Rabiot felt it was 'justice,' saying, "First of all, I’m not sure that it’s really a foul.
"We’ve seen hundreds of actions like that that aren’t given.
"Of course, when he’s missed, we were happy, it was justice because there was no penalty."
Upamecano didn't play in the loss against Tunisia in the group stages, after France had already qualified, and struggled against Kane at times.
France are yet to keep a clean sheet during the tournament, whilst opponents Morocco have only conceded once, to an own goal.
Whilst Deschamps' side are hoping to become the first in 60 years to defend the title, Morocco are looking to become the first team from Africa in World Cup history to make the final, having already become the first in the semis.