Injured Sadio Mane rules out of World Cup after surgery

Senegal forward Sadio Mane has undergone surgery on a knee injury he sustained playing for Bayern Munich and will miss the World Cup.

On Tuesday, Senegal’s football federation said Mane, 30, would miss their “first games” at the tournament.

But a further MRI scan was completed on Thursday that showed surgical intervention was needed.

Mane was forced off during Bayern’s Bundesliga win over Werder Bremen on 8 November.

Bayern have confirmed the player “underwent successful surgery” on Thursday, to attach a tendon to the head of his right fibula

“The forward will begin his rehab in Munich in the next few days,” the club added.

Senegal starts their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Monday. The West Africans are in Group A with games against hosts Qatar (25 November) and Ecuador (29 November) to follow.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mane is Senegal’s talisman, having scored the winning penalty when the Teranga Lions became continental champions for the first time in February, defeating Egypt in a shootout in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

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Within two months Mane had repeated the feat, netting the decisive spot-kick as Senegal beat Egypt – in a game that again pitted him against then-Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah – on penalties in a play-off to qualify for Qatar.