Senegal’s preparations for their crucial double-header against Tunisia in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers have been significantly disrupted by two key injuries.
After already losing Cheikhou Kouyaté for six weeks due to injury, it has now been confirmed that Lamine Sané, the captain of Girondins de Bordeaux, is also sidelined. Sané suffered a knee injury during the last round of Ligue 1 action and has been declared unavailable for at least a month. At this stage, it’s unclear whether he will require surgery.
This double setback is a real blow to coach Alain Giresse, as both Kouyaté and Sané have been regular starters in Senegal’s midfield and defense throughout the CAN 2015 qualifiers.
Giresse, visibly concerned, stated:
“I will review my notes, because I did not expect this.”
This means changes are now inevitable—new names are likely to be included in the next call-up. The French coach and his technical staff are scheduled to meet on Wednesday to reassess their plans and finalize the list of 23 players, which is still expected to be announced on Friday, September 26, 2014.
With Tunisia being a direct rival for qualification, Senegal’s response to these injuries could prove decisive in their CAN 2015 journey.
