Rafael Varane's thigh injury is not as serious as initially feared, but if he is selected for France, he may still not be able to play France's first match at the World Cup. The centre-back left with a limp away from Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday night upset him and heightened fears he could miss the global event in Qatar next month.
France coach Didier Deschamps is already struggling with the health of some important squad members such as Paul Pogba, while N'Golo Kante and Mike Mignon have been ruled out of injury. However, according to CANAL+ Foot's Damien Dubras, Varane's injuries are "not as serious as feared". France's first match at the World Cup is against Australia as they aim to retain the title they won in Russia in 2018.
Varane has been a regular in France's starting line-up since his debut in 2013 and his absence will open up a potential starting position for players such as Dayo Hummecano and Willian Saliba.
It was a huge blow to Manchester United, who began to build momentum under Eric Ten Hag after a difficult start to the season. They grabbed a point at Stamford Bridge thanks to Casemiro's last-minute header, although the drama surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's absence continued to dominate the headlines.