Two more French midfielders have the flu

* Argentina - France: 10pm Sunday, December 18, on MetaSports.

According to L'Équipe, Varane and Konate showed mild cold and flu symptoms on the morning of December 16. They underwent two screenings, with symptoms more pronounced the second time around. Therefore, both are isolated and monitored for at least the next 24 hours.

According to British newspaper Sportmail, coach Didier Deschamps is worried about the possibility of Varane and Konate recovering in time for the 2022 World Cup final on December 18. In the worst case - the duo is absent, Deschamps will have to use Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba. Jules Kounde could also be pushed into centre-back, but this would entail another disturbance, with Benjamin Pavard or Axel Disasi going to play at right-back.

Before Varane and Konate, France lost midfielder Adrien Rabiot and centre-back Dayot Upamecano in the semi-final victory over Morocco 2-0 because of illness. In which, Rabiot was isolated at the hotel, and Upamecano sat on the bench for 90 minutes. Then it was Kingsley Coman's turn to have a fever with similar symptoms. Coach Deschamps said that the coaching staff and the medical team are taking all necessary precautions to prevent the flu virus from spreading in the team.

At a press conference on December 16, Randal Kolo Muani - the striker who came on in the second half and sealed a 2-0 victory over Morocco - said that sick players are isolated in hotel rooms and being cared for by doctors. squirrel. According to Muani, these guys have no serious problems and will be ready for the final against Argentina. A communications officer for the French team added: "Muani is not a doctor, and we will announce that later."

Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele confirmed that the French team is not worried about this flu epidemic. The Barca striker revealed that Rabiot and Upamecano feel better after drinking ginger and honey tea and hope their teammates will be ready for the final.

According to L'Équipe, too cold air conditioning at the French headquarters - Al Messila resort and Spa in Doha - is the cause of the players getting sick, when the temperature difference between outdoor and indoor is too large.

In the group stage, Brazil star Antony said he and many of his teammates were sick due to the air conditioning system at the stadiums in Qatar. Many fans also complained about the air conditioning and revealed that they had to wear overalls to keep warm when entering the stadium to watch live matches.

Host Qatar installed a super-large capacity air conditioning system at the eight stadiums hosting the 2022 World Cup due to concerns about too high temperatures (possibly up to 50 degrees Celsius), even in winter days. The huge cooling system is located under the seats and on the top of the stands.

According to Sportmail analysis, air conditioning can cause flu when there is poor ventilation inside a building and there are bacteria inside that particular area. Air conditioning can spread bacteria, exposing people in that area to viruses that cause colds.