Despite working very hard to get fully fit for France’s opener, Manchester United’s Raphaël Varane just wasn’t risked by Didier Deschamps against Australia.
He wasn’t overly missed, as his side won the game 4-1 despite an early scare, but he will return to face Denmark, which could be a far tougher match for the reigning world champions.
The Manchester United player will be excited to feature once again for his country, whom he helped lift the trophy four years ago in Russia, and those around him are delighted to have him back.
One of those is Mattéo Guendouzi, who faced the media ahead of France’s next game in Qatar, where he was asked about the centre-back’s return.
“He will help us a lot through his experience, he talks to us a lot, to help young people. It’s also necessary to underline the good match if Ibou [Konaté) and Dayot (Upamecano). Raphaël is going to be very important in the tournament.”
Since signing for Manchester United from Real Madrid, Varane has enjoyed a mixed spell at Old Trafford, struggling to find consistency in his first season because of injuries.
However, the arrival of Erik ten Hag has allowed him to play regularly and return to his best, even if he did come off injured against Chelsea, which kickstarted the worry of him being fit for the World Cup.
