Senegal forward Mané ruled out of World Cup with leg injury

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 4:55 PM ET Nov. 17, 2022

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Senegal star Sadio Mané has been ruled out of the World Cup after undergoing surgery for his leg injury, Bayern Munich and the Senegalese soccer federation said Thursday.

Bayern said the 30-year-old Mané had an operation in Innsbruck, Austria late Thursday to reattach a tendon to the head of his right fibula bone, treating an injury he sustained playing for Bayern in a German league game against Werder Bremen on Nov. 8.

“The FC Bayern forward will therefore no longer be available to play for Senegal at the World Cup and will begin his rehab in Munich in the next few days,” Bayern said.

Senegal team doctor Manuel Afonso earlier announced the end of Mané's lingering hopes of playing at least some part in the World Cup.

“Unfortunately, today’s MRI shows us that the progress was not as favorable as we had hoped,” Afonso said. “The result is unfortunately us withdrawing Sadio from the World Cup.”

Senegal, the reigning African champion, had hoped that Mané, a two-time African player of the year, could return at some point during the tournament.

Most of Senegal’s squad arrived in Qatar for the World Cup on Sunday. The team’s first game in Qatar is against the Netherlands on Monday.

Senegal plays host Qatar four days after it faces the Netherlands. Its final game in Group A is against Ecuador on Nov. 29.

Senegal won its first major title at the African Cup in February, when Mané scored the winning penalty in a shootout to beat Egypt in the final. Mané also scored the winning penalty in a playoff that sealed a place for Senegal in Qatar.

Senegal — with Mané — was rated by many as the best African team to ever go to a World Cup.

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