Senegal national team manager Aliou Cisse admits that 'the whole football family is saddened' to see Sadio Mane miss out on the World Cup through injury.
The former Liverpool forward picked up a tendon injury while playing for Bayern Munich at the start of November, but his inclusion in the Lions of Teranga 26-man squad offered hope that he would, at least, be fit for some of the group stage matches. But on Thursday, Senegal's football federation revealed their talisman would miss the entirety of the tournament after an MRI scan concluded that surgery was needed.
And speaking ahead of his side's opening game against the Netherlands on Monday, Cisse detailed how he has received several phone calls about Mane adding that the whole of the football is saddened to hear that 'the second best player in the world' won't be able to play at the World Cup.
