Senegal concerned after Ilay Camara suffers injury ahead of World Cup

Senegal are facing fresh concerns over the fitness of defender Ilay Camara after he suffered an injury during RSC Anderlecht’s victory against Sint-Truidense V.V. on Thursday.

The defender, who had been selected by Pape Thiaw for the upcoming World Cup, was forced off early during the league match after appearing to pick up an injury.

Camara was replaced in the 14th minute of Anderlecht’s 3-1 win over Sint-Truiden on May 21, creating uncertainty around his availability for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The exact nature and seriousness of the injury have not yet been confirmed, but the situation has already caused concern within the Senegal camp as the countdown to the World Cup continues.

The latest setback is particularly worrying for the player after he previously missed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco due to injury problems.

That earlier absence had already interrupted his progress with the national team, and there are now fears that another major international tournament could be placed in doubt.

Senegal’s coaching staff are expected to await medical assessments before making any decisions regarding the defender’s condition. With the World Cup approaching, the national team will be hoping the injury proves less serious than initially feared.

Camara’s early substitution also came at a difficult moment for Senegal, who are already managing the physical condition of several players following demanding club seasons in Europe.

The defender has been part of the plans of coach Pape Thiaw ahead of the competition and was viewed as one of the options available to strengthen the squad defensively.

For Anderlecht, the incident briefly overshadowed an important victory over Sint-Truiden, while attention quickly shifted towards the player’s fitness and recovery timeline.

Senegal will now wait anxiously for further updates as concerns grow over whether Camara can recover in time to feature at the World Cup.

The coming days are expected to provide more clarity on the injury and the possible impact it could have on his participation in the tournament.