Senegal captain Moussa Niakhaté ruled out of Comoros friendly

Senegal will be without captain Moussa Niakhaté for the remainder of the international break after the defender was withdrawn from the national team squad due to injury.

The centre-back was with the Lions of Teranga in Marseille preparing for their international friendly against Comoros at the Stade Vélodrome on October 4.

Niakhaté featured in Senegal’s opening two matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mozambique and Ethiopia, helping the team secure a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 victory respectively.

However, the defender has now been ruled out of the upcoming friendly after suffering an injury that has left him short of full fitness.

Niakhaté underwent an MRI scan in Marseille on Thursday, October 1, to determine the extent of the problem and assess whether he would be fit enough to continue with the squad.

Following the results of the examination, Senegal head coach Patrick Vieira decided to release the captain from international duty.

The Senegalese Football Federation confirmed that Niakhaté will therefore miss the friendly against Comoros and return to his club to continue his medical treatment and rehabilitation.

His withdrawal is a setback for Vieira, who will now have to assess his defensive options ahead of the meeting with Comoros.

The immediate priority for Niakhaté will be to recover fully from the injury before returning to club action, with Senegal also hoping their captain can regain his fitness for future international assignments.