Struck by a groin relapse, Crystal Palace forward Ismaïla Sarr appears unable to play in Senegal’s two matches against Sudan on 12 and 16 November. Midfielder Bara Sapoko Ndiaye is also unavailable.
Head coach Patrick Vieira will have to do without one of his attacking assets for the third and fourth matchdays of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Ismaïla Sarr has suffered a relapse of the groin injury that had already ruled him out of the coach’s first gathering in charge of the Lions of Teranga, according to africasoccer.com.
His club coach, Pierre Sage, confirmed the forward is not currently fit to play. “For the moment, he is not able to play,” he said, estimating his return possible only “after the international break”, according to africasoccer.com.
A setback that comes at a bad time
It is the same injury that had kept Sarr out of Patrick Vieira’s first gathering. The 28-year-old, who has 87 caps and 23 goals for Senegal, therefore sees his return to the national team pushed back once again.
According to tv.nigeriasoccernet.com, the timeline given by Sage makes his presence highly unlikely for the two clashes with Sudan. The withdrawal has not yet been officially confirmed for the double header, but the likelihood of an absence is growing.
A second withdrawal and a Group J still wide open
The Lions of Teranga staff must deal with a second withdrawal. Midfielder Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, 18, with 4 caps, has undergone appendix surgery in Munich and will not be available for two weeks, reports africasoccer.com. The Bayern Munich player is therefore also expected to miss both matches.
The campaign so far has one defeat… no: no defeats. Senegal began with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique on 25 September, before beating Ethiopia 1-0 four days later, according to ghanasoccernet.com. The Lions sit second in Group J, behind Mozambique on goal difference, according to tv.nigeriasoccernet.com.
Two wins against the “Crocodiles of the Nile” would bring Patrick Vieira’s team very close to qualification for the 2027 AFCON, ghanasoccernet.com stresses. They will, however, need to find attacking solutions without Sarr.
Two games in four days
The first leg is scheduled for 12 November, with the return four days later, on 16 November. A tight sequence that leaves little time for any possible return for Sarr.
At Crystal Palace, Pierre Sage has set the forward’s return window for after the international break, without giving a more precise date.