Raphael Varane's groin injury is not as serious as first thought, but once he is on the list, it could rule him out of France's first World Cup game.
The centre-back was a major concern when he picked up an injury in Saturday night's 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Manchester United, putting him at risk of missing a global event in Qatar next month. Les Bleus manager Didier Deschamps is sweating on the health of key players such as Paul Pogba, while N'Golo Kante and Mike Meignan have been ruled out through injury.
But Varane's injuries "are not as serious as feared," reports Damien Dubras of CANAL Foot. France's first match at the World Cup will be against Australia to defend the crown they won in Russia 2018.
Varane has joined the France national team since his debut in 2013 and his absence opens up potential starting spots for Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba. It's a big blow for United, who are starting to pick up steam under Erik Ten Hag after a difficult season. They dominate the headlines with the drama surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, but a late Casemiro header took the points at Stamford Bridge.
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