Sadio Mane is set to miss his national team’s first Set of matches in the FIFA World Cup, which is set to kick off on November 20, 2022.
The Bayern Munich forward was named in the Senegal team for the World Cup even though he suffered an injury in an on-field action for Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga.
The German champions said the 30-year-old had an injury “to his right fibula,” but Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said Mane does not need an operation.
The African Champions will play against the Netherlands on November 21, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. The Senegal national team has another football encounter with Qatar, the host nation, on November 25, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
After that, the team will face Ecuador in the final match of Group A. The Senegal Football Federation has already realized that they have to play their first set of matches in Qatar without Sadio Mane.
A board member of the Senegal Federation, Abdoulaye Sow, told the press that they don’t have to whine about the non-availability of the reigning Africa’s footballer of the year.
Sadio Mane has become an integral part of the Senegal team; he helped them beat Egypt in the final of the AFCON and also in the World Cup qualifier play-off.
Note that Sadio Mane stopped his former teammate at Liverpool, Mohamed Salah from winning The Africa prestigious title (AFCON) earlier this year.
Christopher Nkunku Is Out Of The France Squad
Nkunku had been ruled out of the World Cup after a nasty tackle from his French teammate Eduardo Camavinga left him with an injury.
The France manager, Didier Claude Deschamps, called up Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani as a replacement on Wednesday, few hours before the team flew out to Qatar for the World Cup.
Nkunku is the highest goal scorer in the Bundesliga with 12 goals in 15 matches for RB Leipzig.
The France Squad is set to fly to Qatar on Wednesday and will face Australia in their first Group D match. The team has another encounter with Denmark on November 26, 2022.
The last group match comes up against Tunisia on November 30, 2022, at 4:00 p.m.
France has been tipped as the favorite to win the tournament and they have one of the best attacking force in the World Cup.
Nkunku is the latest on a list of high-profile absentees for defending champions France, which also includes midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante and defender Prisnel Kimpembe.
In addition, Manchester United defender Raphael Varane is still battling to be fit but he was picked by the manager.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Camavinga has been subjected to racial abuse from the fans after the incident. Social media companies had been advised to bring down accounts of people who racially abuse players before, during after the Qatar World Cup.