Al-Nassr forward, Sadio Mane, has reportedly been ruled out of Senegal’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches due to an injury.

It has been stated the 31-year-old will miss the games against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Dakar on June 6 and the trip to Mauritania on June 9.

His absence will be a huge blow for the Teranga Lions, who are also without wingers, Krepin Diatta and Ismail Jakobs, for both qualifier ties.

According to 13 Football, a statement from the Senegalese Football Federation read:

“Sadio Mané, who joined the national team with pain in his right knee, underwent medical examinations on Sunday, June 2, 2024. The results revealed a lesion in the aponeuroses of the biceps femoris and the lateral gastrocnemius.”

A release on the federation’s official website also confirmed Mane had withdrawn from the Senegal squad.

Despite his absence, the former African champions will be looking at winning both games as they continue their pursuit of a return to the World Cup.

Senegal reached the last 16 of the tournament in Qatar, where they were eliminated by the Three Lions of England, as reported by Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, the game against DR Congo is expected to be a tough one following the Leopards’ impressive run at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished fourth.

Regarded as the best right-back in the world currently, he has faced the Senegalese forward 15 times, from his days at Southampton to Bayern Munich.

Of those 15 meetings, Mane’s teams won six, drew six, and lost only three times, two of which were heavy defeats during his time with Liverpool.