Senegal star player, Sadio Mane is a major doubt for the African squad going to the World Cup, as he picked up an injury after playing for Bayern Munich last weekend.
Mane was forced off injured after just 20 minutes as Die Roten thrashed Werder Bremen 6-1 on Tuesday evening in a Bundesliga match.
Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed that Sadio may be out for a while as it was a tibia injury, a major blow for Senegal.
Sadio underwent tests this morning, which have set an initial recovery period of 3-4 weeks which means that even if he plays at the World Cup, he would miss the first two matches.
The African star will undergo further testing to better understand the recovery time and see if there is a chance he can make the World Cup.
In a statement, Bayern Munich confirmed that Sadio would be unavailable for Schalke match. The club said:
“Sadio Mane suffered an injury to his right fibula during FC Bayern’s 6:1 win against Werder Bremen. ‘Africa’s Footballer of the Year’ is out for the match against FC Schalke this Saturday.”
”Further examinations will follow in the next few days, FC Bayern will exchange information with the medical side of the Senegalese Football Association.”
Assistant coach, Dino Toppmoeller was able to give a positive update on Mane. He 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.”
No one can truly replace Mane, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or and inspired Senegal to the African title earlier this year, but some players would have to step up and build their team work to take the African country to the next level.