Sadio Mane Will Be Joining Senegal Squad for World Cup Despite Injury

Senegalese coach Aliou Cissé, who named Mane among the 26-man squad that would represent Senegal, said he was confident that Mane could recover from his injuries in time to play at the tournament.

Cissé also shared that the chosen players were selected because they were in line with the team’s principles.

“The players chosen correspond with our vision and philosophy. They are competitors of a high level,” Cissé told Al Jazeera.

Cissé said the team had sent the federation’s doctor to examine Mane’s leg but was informed that the star footballer would not need any surgery to recover. Cissé said he was pleased with the feedback because he would prefer to keep Mane on the team for the big game.

“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,” Cissé, whose contract as a coach was extended by two years earlier this week, said. “I prefer to keep him in the squad because he is such an important part of us. We will do all in our power to ensure we can recover Mane in time to play.”