Sadio Mane expects to line up for Senegal this weekend in their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final - despite appearing to suffer a concussion on Tuesday.
The Liverpool forward was involved in a sickening clash of heads with Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha shortly before the hour of his country's 2-0 round of 16 win in Cameroon.
Mane looked to be unconscious before his head hit the floor heavily as he landed, with Vozinha also visibly distressed before undergoing treatment and being eventually shown a red card.
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The Reds man played on and moments later scored Senegal's opener, only to crumple to the ground holding his head shortly before the restart and be helped from the field.
Both Mane and Vozinha were taken to hospital for checks, from where the Liverpool winger posted a message on Instagram reassuring he was fine. He was later discharged and joined his team-mates at their hotel.
And former Senegal and Liverpool midfielder Salif Diao said Mane now expects to play in his country's quarter-final tie on Sunday.
“I spoke to him yesterday just after he left the hospital and he said everything was clear,” he said to Sky Sports News on Wednesday.
“From what I understood he has been cleared by the doctors and should be okay for the next game.”
The failure to substitute Mane immediately after the incident has reopened the debate over whether football deals properly with head injuries, with concussion substitutes not allowed at the AFCON.
And Luke Griggs, the deputy chief executive of brain injury association Headway, said to the Press Association: “On the face of it, this seems to be yet another example of football putting results ahead of player safety.
“This was a sickening collision that clearly left both players in enough distress for a concussion to have surely been considered a possibility at the very least.
“At that point, the principle of ‘if in doubt, sit it out’ should have resulted in Mane being substituted without another ball being kicked.
“The image of the player collapsing on the ground and having to be helped from the pitch after scoring his goal should tell you everything you need to know about the impact and the effect it had had on his brain.
“Yet again, the desire to win is seen as being worth serious risks to players’ health.
"It is simply shocking that this continues to happen."
Griggs added: “This is now a real test of leadership for the Confederation of African Football and world governing body FIFA – particularly if Senegal declare Mane fit for Sunday’s quarter-final.
“If football wants to be taken seriously when it comes to concussion, it simply must take action to enforce and strengthen its protocols.”
