Is Olivier Giroud injured? Team news as France face Argentina in World Cup final

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France face Argentina today in 2022 FIFA World Cup final, yet Les Bleus could be without star striker Olivier Giroud due to injury.

According to L’Equipe, the AC Milan attacker is a doubt for the showpiece event in Qatar after Giroud was substituted off in France’s semi-final clash against Morocco, with Marcus Thuram in line to replace the injured veteran striker.

With four goals at the World Cup this winter, Giroud has been one of France’s best players in the entire competition, and the attacker now missing the final due to being injured is the last thing Didier Deschamps would have wanted to heard ahead of today’s clash against Argentina.

Is Olivier Giroud injured for France for the World Cup final?

As per L’Equipe, there’s a chance that Giroud could now miss the World Cup final due to being injured. However, given the plethora of options France have at their disposal, the absence of the former Chelsea and Arsenal striker might not be as big a disaster as first feared.

Indeed, Kylian Mbappe took over the central role in the attack after Giroud was taken off against Morroco earlier this week, and with Thuram in red-hot form this season with Borussia Monchengladbach, the 25-year-old is more than capable of replacing Giroud.

Still, Giroud’s influence in the starting XI can’t be underestimated, with the striker France’s leading forward in 2018 in Russia despite failing to score a single goal. And the attacker missing the final today could give Argentina a huge advantage.

Who else is injured for France?

It’s not just Giroud who could be missing from France’s squad to face Argentina. As well as Lucas Hernandez and Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane are both Ibrahima Konate doubts for the final, with Kingsley Coman, Aurelien Tchouameni and Theo Hernandez only returning to training yesterday.

With Argentina having a largely clean bill of health, France could be up against the odds later today with Lionel Messi and company eager to win Argentina’s first World Cup in over 30 years, with Giroud’s potential absence massive for Les Bleus.