Senegal forward Sadio Mane has been ruled out of the World Cup as he requires surgery on a knee injury he sustained playing for Bayern Munich.
On Tuesday, Senegal’s football federation said Mane, 30, would miss their “first games” at the tournament.
But a further MRI scan was completed on Thursday that showed surgical intervention is needed.
Mane was forced off during Bayern’s Bundesliga win over Werder Bremen on 8 November.
Senegal start their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Monday. The West Africans are in Group A with games against hosts Qatar (25 November) and Ecuador (29 November) to follow.
Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mane is Senegal’s talisman, having scored the winning penalty when the Teranga Lions became continental champions for the first time in February, defeating Egypt in a shoot-out in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Within two months Mane had repeated the feat, netting the decisive spot-kick as Senegal beat Egypt – in a game that again pitted him against then Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah – on penalties in a play-off to qualify for Qatar. (BBC)
