Senegal’s World Cup hopes at risk due to Mane injury concern
THE possibility of Senegalese superstar Sadio Mane being selected for the Teranga Lions at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 hangs in the balance after he sustained an injury on Tuesday while playing for Bayern Munich in a Bundesliga match
After receiving a hit to his tibial plateau during Bayern Munich’s 6-1 victory against Werder Bremen at home in a Bundesliga game on Tuesday, Mane will undergo additional testing. Meanwhile, teammate Thomas Muller is confident he will be fit to play at the tournament in Qatar.
In a medical report released by Bayer on Wednesday, the team said that Mane would miss their upcoming encounter against Schalke on Saturday and that Senegal football federation had been contacted.
“Sadio Mane has suffered an injury to the head of his right fibula in FC Bayern’s 6-1 win against Werder Bremen. Africa’s Footballer of the Year will miss Saturday’s game against Schalke. Further examinations will follow in the coming days. FC Bayern is also in contact with the medical staff of the Senegalese Football Association.’’
Additionally, after the encounter on Tuesday, Bayern initially downplayed the injury, according to assistant coach Dino Toppmoeller, who said: “Sadio Mane was hit on the leg, which caused him a little nerve pain. Nothing too serious and his participation in the World Cup should not be in jeopardy.”
In a further twist, a source close to the Senegal national team claims that they have not yet confirmed the Mane situation with the German champions: “We haven’t yet received any official communication from Bayern Munich regarding Sadio Mane.”
“When we do, we’ll also have our Team Doctor Abdulrahman Fedior check him to assess the situation. We did the same for Edouard Mendy in September.”
The Mane injury scare has created fears among the squad and among supporters of the African champions that the former Liverpool hitman will miss the tournament. Senegal is expected to announce their squad on November 11.
Mane’s availability for their November 21 opening against the Netherlands will be crucial to coach Aliou Cisse. He has 92 caps for Senegal, and after helping the Teranga Lions win the tournament, he was named player of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
With Mane leading the attack, Senegal, the top-rated African squad, is predicted to get as far as the semifinals in Qatar. Mane, one of the top forwards in the world, recently placed second in this year’s Ballon d’Or behind Karim Benzema. He transferred from Liverpool to the Bundesliga champions in the summer for up to €42 million.
Senegal are the first African team to name their final squad, with Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane leading the way. Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly are also in the squad.