Bayer Leverkusen Guéla Doué injury puts Ivory Coast international call-up in doubt

Ivory Coast right-back Guéla Doué could miss the national team’s upcoming international camp after suffering a muscle injury at club level.

The 23-year-old defender was named by Ivory Coast head coach Hervé Renard in the squad for the first two matchdays of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but his participation is now in doubt following the injury setback.

As confirmed by Bayer Leverkusen, the enterprising defender sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during training and is expected to be out of action.

Meanwhile, the German outfit could not provide a specific timeline for his recovery, raising doubts about his availability for the qualifiers.

The setback comes at an unfortunate time for the Elephants, with Doué included among the 24 players selected by Renard for the September-October 2026 international window.

Ivory Coast are scheduled to face Ghana and Somalia in their opening two matches of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The Elephants will then face Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in an international friendly on October 3, giving Renard three fixtures to prepare for during the international period.

However, Doué is now a major doubt for all three matches as he begins his recovery from the calf injury.

The Ivory Coast technical team will monitor his situation closely in the coming days before making a final decision on his availability.

Unless he makes a quicker-than-expected recovery, Renard could be forced to proceed without the Bayer Leverkusen right-back for the upcoming international assignments.