Wayne Lumbasi
Just 20 minutes into Bayern Munich’s crushing 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen, Sadio Mane was forced off with what appeared to be an injury. More significantly, this has occurred less than two weeks before the FIFA World Cup begins.
The ex-Liverpool man was instrumental in Senegal’s qualification for the tournament in Qatar, only the third time the country has ever qualified for a World Cup, scoring the game-winning penalty against Egypt.
His injury scare will keep Senegal fans anxious. The reigning African Cup of Nations champions are set to start their campaign in Qatar against the Netherlands on November 21. They are set to face the host, Qatar, on November 25 in Group A. Their penultimate group fixture will take place on November 29 against Ecuador.
The Senegalese star isn’t the only high-profile player to sustain an injury in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, with Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Jesus Corona, Reece James, and Ben Chilwell among those who have.
Since joining Nagelsmann’s squad from Liverpool at the beginning of the season, Sadio Mane has been essential. Mane has 11 goals and four assists for the Bavarians in 23 games across all competitions. After a few hiccups early in the season, his numbers have helped the team sit first in the league with 31 points from 14 games.
