Bayern Munich superstar Sadio Mane out of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar - Reports
Bayern Munich and Senegalese forward Sadio Mane has been ruled out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as per L'Equipe.
Sadio Mane, 30, limped off in the first half of Bayern's 6-1 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday, 8 November, raising concerns over his fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The former Liverpool attacker is suffering from a tendon and will now miss the tournament in Qatar,
Senegal national team manager Aliou Cisse is set to announce his 26-man squad for the competition on Friday, 11 November.
He will be without the Elephants protagonist, who has been vital for Cisse's side.
🚨🚨 BREAKING ! SADIO MANÉ EST FORFAIT POUR LA COUPE DU MONDE ! 😰🇸🇳
(@lequipe) https://t.co/CBRWPPs4ny
Sadio Mane has earned 92 international caps, scoring 33 goals.
He lifted the African Cup of Nations in February and won the African Footballer of the Year award.
The Senegalese forward joined Bayern from Liverpool this past summer for €32 million and has made 23 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists.
Sadio Mane is the latest high-profile player to be sidelined for the FIFA World Cup.
Other names include French duo Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, Germany's Timo Werner, and England's Reece James.
Senegal are in Group A and will face the Netherlands on 21 November, host nation Qatar on 25 November, and Ecuador on 29 November.
Jamie Carragher criticizes the timing of the FIFA World Cup as Sadio Mane becomes the latest absentee
Liverpool legend Carragher was scathing in his assessment of the timing of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Players are incurring injuries midway through the season at a stage where normally the World Cup would be played in the summer.
The tournament was moved to the winter due to the temperature in the Middle Eastern country.
Carragher alluded to France's Raphael Varane as an example of a player who is at risk of missing the competition.
The Manchester United defender limped off during a 1-1 draw between the Red Devils and Chelsea on 22 October.
Carragher said:
"It gets moved to the situation where it is now in the middle of the season. Players all around Europe and the world could get injured in the next couple of weeks; [Raphael] Varane was crying coming off the pitch at Stamford Bridge. That's how close we are to a World Cup."
It's not just long-term injuries impacting players' chances of playing in Qatar but also minor problems.
Carragher added:
"An injury, a 10-day or a two-week injury, is going to keep players out of a World Cup and it should not be happening. And it all started with FIFA giving Qatar the World Cup in the first place and then moving it. I think it's absolutely disgusting."
BREAKING 🚨: Reece James will miss the World Cup after failing to recover from a knee injury. https://t.co/VY5LudfApu