Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is not even in the stadium amid swirling rumours, but Milan’s Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez start the World Cup semi-final for France against Sofyan Amrabat’s Morocco.
It kicks off at 19.00 GMT and the winner will go on to face Argentina in the Final on Sunday.
There had been concerns for Les Bleus going into the game, as Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano were struggling with flu symptoms over the last couple of days.
Initially, it was reported they would both be on the bench, but it appears to have hit Rabiot harder than anyone, because he has been left behind at the team’s base camp this evening.
Different versions of how they got sick have been circulating in French media, with some blaming the air conditioning in the Qatari stadiums, but beIN Sports claims they might’ve contracted the bug from England players after their quarter-final match.
Another theory doing the rounds this evening in the French press is that Rabiot might have COVID, but that testing is no longer obligatory at this tournament.
The midfielder was rumoured to be one of the few players in Serie A who initially refused to get the COVID vaccine in 2021.
Milan pair Theo Hernandez and Olivier Giroud do start, with Youssouf Fofana and Ibrahima Konate stepping in.
As for Morocco, despite carrying knocks, both Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd are able to start, with Fiorentina midfielder Amrabat emerging as the breakout star of the squad.
It will be an all-PSG battle between Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé.
France: Lloris; Koundé, Varane, Konaté, Theo Hernandez; Tchouaméni, Griezmann, Fofana; Dembélé, Giroud, Mbappé
Morocco: Bonou; Hakimi, El Yamiq, Saiss, Aguerd, Mazraoui; Ziyech, Ounahi, Amrabat, Boufal; En-Nesyri