Morocco will be without Ismael Saibari for this World Cup quarterfinal clash with France.
Saibari opens on the bench and is expected to be unavailable after suffering a right hamstring injury in a 3-0 win over Canada in the Round of 16. He scored a thunderbolt of a goal in a 1-0 win over Scotland during the group stages here at Boston Stadium and hit the target in each of his first three for Morocco in this tournament.
Brahim Diaz and Azzedine Ounahi will lead the attack for Morocco. Ounahi came off the bench to bag a pair of goals against Canada and Diaz has been one of the top assist men in the field. Achraf Hakimi captains the side at right back.
France named a starting lineup that featured no surprises after a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16. Lucas Digne will continue at left back in place of Theo Hernandez, who scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Morocco in the 2022 semifinals. Kylian Mbappe captains the side and leads the line ahead of a dangerous trio that includes Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue.
France should open a comfortable favorite in the match against Morocco and has assumed the role of tournament favorites overall. Spain and England are next among the remaining eight teams. Mbappe remains in the hunt for the Golden Boot alongsid
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Will Ismael Saibari play for Morocco in today’s World Cup match?
