Coming off in tears against Chelsea, there was a serious worry that Raphaël Varane would miss the World Cup.
However, with the help of Manchester United, the player spent the following weeks working hard to make the tournament, travelling to France to get some of his rehabilitation done.
He was then called up by Didier Deschamps for the competition, showing that he was on the right track after the manager made it clear he wouldn’t be counting on players who wouldn’t be able to play the first game of the tournament.
That applied to everyone, even the Manchester United star, but it appears everything is heading in the right direction, and the France manager gave an update on the defender’s fitness on Monday in a press conference.
Relayed by RMC Sport, Deschamps said: “He’s in his protocol. He’s increased his athletic work. He’s touched the ball again. He’ll do so again today. He still has some steps to take before Thursday.
“He’s good. He’s in a good headspace and has good feelings. He is meant to be available for the first game.”
Signed by Manchester United from Real Madrid last season, Varane struggled to find any consistency due to injuries in his first campaign at Old Trafford.
However, he was much better this year under Erik ten Hag, until that Chelsea game, which has seen him miss the last three Premier League games against West Ham, Aston Villa and Fulham.
