Football
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Blaise Matuidi escapes FIFA action

FIFA has decided that France's Blaise Matuidi will face no further action following his challenge on Nigeria's Ogenyi Onazi during Monday's round-of-16 clash.

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Matuidi, 27, was booked for the wild tackle that saw Onazi, 21, stretchered off just before the hour mark of Les Bleus' 2-0 victory in Brasilia.

Onazi was then taken to hospital and had the lower part of his left leg put in plaster amid fears he had suffered multiple fractures.

L'Equipe claimed the Lazio player had not sustained broken bones as had been reported and will return to the pitch in two weeks.

Despite a request from then-Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi -- who resigned after his side's exit from the tournament -- for measures to be taken against Matuidi, FIFA's Disciplinary Commission has decided not to take action against the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder.

Matuidi will be available for Friday's quarterfinal against Germany, as will Raphael Varane, who spent Monday night in hospital, according to O Globo.

The Real Madrid defender played against Nigeria despite having suffered a bout of gastroenteritis in the run-up to the game, and reportedly received treatment for dehydration following the final whistle.

After lining up with Laurent Koscielny against the Super Eagles, Varane could be paired again with Mamadou Sakho to face Germany in Rio de Janeiro, with the Liverpool defender having recovered from a thigh problem picked up in his country's last group-stage match against Ecuador.

Sakho trained normally on Tuesday and coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged he now has options at centre-back, although he stopped short of confirming who would start against Joachim Low's side.

"Mamadou had played everything," he is quoted as saying by foot365. "He wasn't available, now he is. But I'm happy Laurent, who replaced him, was good. I don't have any worries about that. Whether it's [Thomas] Muller or someone else [playing for Germany], I'm more interested in the understanding between my two central defenders."

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