Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar despite suffering an injury playing for Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old striker had earlier been ruled out of the mundial with initial x-ray on his injury saying he will be sidelined for few weeks.
To the surprise of many, Coach Aliou Cisse included Mane in his 26-man squad at a news conference in Dakar on Friday.
Cisse, who has just been handed another contract said he was confident the talisman could recover in time to play at the tournament.
He revealed that a further check by the Senegalese federation’s doctor to examine Mane on Thursday indicated that he would not require a surgery.
That’s very good news and we now have the chance to try and get him fit for the tournament. We now have two weeks to observe and see how the injury reacts to treatment,” Cisse said.
“I prefer to keep him in the squad because he is such an important part of us.” added the Coach
Saying that the team will do everything possible to ensure Mane features at the World Cup, he recalled the similar situation of the Watford attacker Ismaila Sarr, who had been injured going into January’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, but was eventually included in the squad and recovered after the first round.
Senegal squad to the world cup includes:
Goalkeepers: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Stade Rennes), Eduoard Mendy (Chelsea)
Defenders: Fode Ballo Toure (AC Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis)
Midfielders: Pathe Ismael Ciss (Rayo Vallecano) Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Olympique Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamdou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos FC), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Ilimane Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford)
The Lions of Teranga are one of favourites African team going in to the world cup. They will be looking to overcome their quarter final berth achieved in 2002.