Senegal suffer Mamadou Sarr injury blow before Sudan qualifiers

Senegal manager Patrick Vieira will be without Mamadou Sarr for the Lions of Teranga’s two Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers against Sudan on 12 and 16 November.

Sarr, 21, has nine international caps and was included in Vieira’s 25-man squad announced last Thursday. However, his participation had been in doubt after he went off injured while playing in the Europa League on the same evening the squad was revealed.

Real Sociedad confirmed on Saturday that the central defender is suffering from a calf injury. The club did not give a precise recovery timeline, although Sarr is expected to miss at least two to three weeks of competitive action.

His absence leaves Vieira with a defensive selection issue before the back-to-back meetings with Sudan, which form part of the third and fourth rounds of qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.

Sarr was not an automatic starter at the beginning of Vieira’s tenure. He played the full 0-2 friendly defeat by Comoros, having remained on the bench for Senegal’s matches against Mozambique, which ended 1-1, and Ethiopia, a 0-1 victory.

Senegal could also lose another defender before the qualifiers. Watford right-back Kreppin Diatta was forced off injured on Saturday during a match in the English second division.

The 27-year-old’s condition has not been specified, leaving Vieira facing further uncertainty in his defensive options ahead of the two matches.

Senegal currently sit second in Group J, behind Mozambique on goal difference. A pair of victories against Sudan would leave the Lions of Teranga significantly closer to securing qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.