By Mukwuzi Joseph
French midfielder Adrien Rabiot is to miss tomorrow’s UEFA Nations League final against Spain after testing positive for COVID-19.
Rabiot played 75 minutes of Thursday’s (October 7) semi-final victory as France came back from 2-0 behind to earn a dramatic 3-2 victory against Belgium in Turin, where the 26-year-old plays his club football for Juventus.
That booked their place in the final against Spain in the San Siro in Milan, after Luis Enrique’s team ended European champions Italy’s 37-match unbeaten run with a 2-1 win in Wednesday’s (October 6) semi-final.
As reported by France 24, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that every other player in the team had seen their tests taken yesterday afternoon returned as negative this morning as the team makes the trip across northern Italy from Turin to Milan.
Didier Deschamps has 21 of the 23 called up players available for Sunday’s fixture, with left-back Lucas Digne the only other absentee due to a “minor” hamstring injury.
UEFA rules dictate that its matches will not proceed as plans if both teams have at least 13 players, including one goalkeeper, available.
Rabiot has been capped 22 times at senior level by France.
He controversially missed out on France’s 23-man 2018 FIFA World Cup squad and refused to be put on the standby list for a competition which his country went on to win.
