Sadio Mane: Who could replace injured Senegal superstar?

GOAL’s Ed Dove assesses the options to replace Sadio Mane should he miss out on the Teranga Lions’ World Cup campaign.

Sadio Mane injured

Things aren’t good for Sadio Mane’s World Cup hopes, with the Bayern Munich forward picking up an injury in Tuesday’s Bundesliga encounter with Werder Bremen that threatens to derail his participation in Qatar.

Initially, the injury didn’t appear overly significant, with Bayern’s assistant manager Dino Topmoeller telling Reuters that he would be fit in time for Qatar.

However, L’Equipe reported on Wednesday that Mane will miss the World Cup, with GOAL’s sources indicating that the initial prognosis is he faces between three and four weeks on the sidelines.

No one can truly replace Mane, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or and inspired Senegal to the African title earlier this year, but who are the players who could attempt to fill in for the Teranga Lion?

Boulaye Dia

Dia is primed to lead the line for Senegal, having emerged as a solution for the centre-forward position which has been a problem for Aliou Cisse during his tenure.

He’ll need to be relied upon more heavily now if Mane—Senegal’s best source of goals—is unable to take part in the tournament, although his international scoring record is hardly inspiring.

While Dia has five goals in 12 Serie A outings so far this term, he failed to find the net at all during Senegal’s run to the Nations Cup earlier this year.

Ismaila Sarr

Another player who would have started anyway, regardless of Mane’s fitness, but Sarr may need to step into his compatriot’s role as the team’s talisman if the ex-Liverpool superstar isn’t fit for Qatar.

He’s a key asset for Senegal down the right, where he’s able to stretch the play and trouble defences with his pace, but he’s been criticised at home for his profligacy in front of home.

There have been attempts to answer the critics in the Championship this season, where he has six goals in 16 so far this term.

Nicolas Jackson

Uncapped, but is set to make a late run into the World Cup squad after emerging as one of the revelations of the season in La Liga.

The forward has had a hand in four goals for Villarreal so far this term, as well as netting in the Europa Conference, although he’s more comfortable through the middle or on the right.

His recent form has prompted rumours of a transfer to Newcastle United or Aston Villa.

Krepin Diatta

Once destined for great things, but his progress has slowed a little—not least due to injury problems—Diatta is still yet to find his way back to top form after suffering a torn ACL ahead of the Nations Cup.

He’s also more comfortable on the right, and while he should make the squad, the 23-year-old has scored just once in Ligue 1 so far this term.

Iliman Ndiaye

Already enjoying his career-best season in the Championship with Sheffield United, Ndiaye was expected to have made the squad anyway in a backup capacity, but may now find himself thrust into a more pivotal role.

He only made his debut for the national side in June, as one of the post-Afcon intake, but nine goals already in the second tier suggest he could be a genuine x-factor for the Teranga Lions.

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