Rabiot, Upamecano doubts for France ahead of World Cup semifinal

DOHA - France has two question marks over their starting 11 to play Morocco in the second World Cup semifinal on Wednesday in the Al Bayt.

Central defender Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Adrien Rabiot failed to train with the rest of the squad in their final preparation session Tuesday and have, therefore, to be considered doubts for the match.

The duo are both suffering from colds and trained indoors, the French Football Federation said, with Upamecano also missing Monday's workout.

If they don't recover in time, Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate would probably start alongside Raphael Varane in the French defense, while Youssouf Fofana could be drafted into midfield.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) distributed hundreds of unsold tickets for Wednesday's game to fans who had waited at the stadium for the chance of a ticket.

"We bought the rest of the unsold tickets in the stadium, and we distributed them to our fans," FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa explained.

"They are here in Qatar and they have only one desire - to see the national team," he said.

The vast number of fans in tomorrow's match will be either from Morocco or supporting Morocco, with over 30 charter flights booked from the North African nation, especially for the event.