Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal’s squad for the World Cup despite suffering a fibula injury less than two weeks before the tournament begins.
The Bayern Munich forward limped out of the 6-1 Bundesliga battle with Werder Bremen on Tuesday, with the Bavarian giants subsequently confirming he injured the head of his right fibula.
Reports from Germany and France said Mane’s availability for Senegal’s World Cup campaign – which begins against the Netherlands on November 21 – was in doubt, but Bayern have not ruled him out of the tournament.
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has decided to take a risk on Mane by naming him in his 26-man squad for the trip to Qatar, although he admits the former Liverpool star’s condition needs to improve if he is to play.
“We are monitoring the situation and have sent one of our doctors to assess him,” Cisse told a news conference in Dakar on Friday.
“On Thursday, Sadio spent the day in Munich before traveling to Austria for further tests. The good news is that he does not need surgery.
“We want the situation to develop in two to three weeks. I don’t want to rule him out.”
Mané scored the winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt to claim their first African Cup of Nations title earlier this year, and has been directly involved in 12 of the last 25 goals scored by Senegal’s players at major tournaments (AFCON and World Cup) . nine and assisting three.
Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly will captain the Lions of Teranga in Qatar, while Blues teammate Edouard Mendy should also start in goal.
Senegal World Cup squad 2022:
Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea); Fode Ballo-Toure (Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis); Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham); Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford).
