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Sadio Mane will miss the 'first games' of the FIFA World Cup due to injury, according to a Senegal Football Federation official.
The winger picked up an injury during Bayern Munich's recent Bundesliga clash with Werder Bremen. According to BBC Sport, the German champions said he had an injury "to the head of his right fibula" and missed their last game before the FIFA World Cup.
Despite his injury concerns, Mane has joined his Senegal teammates in Qatar and is very much the team's talisman. The former Liverpool forward finished second in this year's Ballon d'Or voting after guiding his nation to the World Cup and scoring the winning penalty in the AFCON final.
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said Mane did not require surgery, but his chances of playing his country's first game against the Netherlands on November 21 were slim. Official Abdoulaye Sow offered a grim update on his star man's fitness, as he proclaimed (as per The Times of India):
"We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and win without Sadio because we have 25 players apart from Sadio. No one would have wanted it, but that's what's happened to us."
Senegal will also face Ecuador and host Qatar in Group A at the FIFA World Cup. The top two sides will face teams qualifying from Group B, containing England, in the Round of 16.
Virgil van Dijk reveals he has spoken with former teammate and Senegal talisman Sadio Mane ahead of FIFA World Cup
Virgil van Dijk missed Euro 2020 due to a knee injury, so clearly has sympathy for his former Liverpool teammate, who he is set to face in the group stage.
When asked if he had spoken to the now-Bayern Munich winger, Van Dijk replied (as per The Mirror):
"Of course I’ve spoken to him. I was feeling sad for him, first and foremost. I’m not happy in this case and I’ve been in that situation where I missed the Euros. We as players, we work so hard to get to this stage and he has been such an important figure in that group, for their country.
“I know for a fact that he will put a brave face on it, but it’s tough and I feel sorry for him. I don’t think he will play, but they still have a fantastic team. We will prepare well for them and the whole tournament is going to be tough.”
Van Dijk is set to feature for the Netherlands against Senegal but will not face his former club teammate Mane.
