Europe 1 with AFP 6:31 p.m., October 30, 2022

Reassuring news of two injured Blues three weeks before the World Cup: Jules Koundé, touched with Barcelona on Saturday, only suffers from "muscle overload" according to his club, while Raphaël Varane, in treatment at the Clairefontaine training center, has guaranteed to feel "much better".

The state of health of the two French defenders Jules Koundé and Raphaël Varane, usual holders in the France team, is of great interest to the management of the Blues before the World Cup in Qatar.

The latest developments are rather positive for coach Didier Deschamps, who will announce his list for the World Cup on November 9.

A wave of concern had swept over Clairefontaine after the recent injuries of these two players on whom the Blues hope to count.

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"Nothing to worry about" for Koundé

Replaced at the end of the match with FC Barcelona on Saturday, Koundé suffers "from a muscular overload in the femoral biceps of the left thigh", explained the Catalan club in a press release, without commenting on the duration of the player's absence, indicating only that its "evolution will dictate its availability".

Already injured in this same thigh at the beginning of the fall, Koundé had already been reassuring on Saturday evening with the DAZN platform, already evoking an "overload".

According to the Catalan press, the injury is nothing to worry about, and the objective is for Koundé to be fully recovered for the reception of Almeria on Saturday (9:00 p.m.) at Camp Nou in La Liga.

And he is on the right track since he has already been able to push back the lawn on Saturday evening against Valencia.

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Varane feels "much better"

More serious, Varane's thigh injury also seems to be moving in the right direction.

The Manchester United defender, who will not play in a club again before the World Cup (November 20-December 18), gave news on social networks.

"I trained hard and I feel much better", wrote the world champion in 2018 on Instagram, in the caption of photos and videos showing him in full physical exercise sessions (stationary bike, swimming pool, bodybuilding, stretching) .

The Blues have already registered the withdrawal of N'Golo Kanté and are awaiting the recovery of two other executive players: Paul Pogba and Lucas Hernandez.

For the first, injured in a knee and absent from competition since April, the race against time will be difficult because it is "very unlikely" to see him again on the pitch before the World Cup according to his coach Massimiliano Allegri.

The second, hit in the thigh, is expected in Bayern Munich's collective training this week.