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Senegal forward Sadio Mane will not be fit in time and will miss Senegal's first games.
Senegalese fears have been confirmed, as Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane is set to miss the first few matches of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The 30-year-old talisman's fitness has been touch-and-go leading up to the world cup despite being included in the final 26-man squad list, but it has now been confirmed that Mane will be unable to take part in Senegal's first few games at least as he continues to heal from an injury to his right fibula.
Confirmation of Mane's absence
Mane's absence in the first few games of Senegal's world cup campaign was confirmed by a member of Senegal's football federation, Abdoulaye Sow to the Associated Press. He said "we will have to rely on playing the games without Sadio and win without Sadio"
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"No one would have wanted it, but that's what's happened to us"
What does Mane's injury mean for Senegal's World Cup hopes
Like Zinedine Zidane in 2002 for France, and Mohamed Salah in 2010 for Egypt, Mane will be sorely missed by Senegal, and his absence in their opening games will serve as a major dent in their chances of leaving the group.
They will certainly be without him for their opening game against the Netherlands on the 21st of November, and could also miss him when they take on hosts Qatar. The earliest that he could make it back would be in the third group game.
There is hope that Mane would be fit enough to join the Senegalese team in the latter stages, but without him, it is unlikely that Senegal will even get that far. But who knows, they might get a Christmas miracle.
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