Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has confirmed the absence of Fode Ballo-Toure and Youssouf Sabaly for their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opening match against Gambia on Monday.
Cisse, in his pre-match presser on Sunday, announced the return of Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye and Lens star Nampalys Mendy while Tottenham star Pape Matar Sarr is in a race against time to be fit.
Fulham left-back Ballo-Toure is recuperating from a calf injury he picked up during Senegal’s training camp in Dakar while Real Betis defender Sabaly is also recovering from a calf injury.
After Monday’s game, Senegal are hoping to have the duo back in contention for their second Group C fixture against Cameroon on Friday, January 19.
“The boys who were there are going out there, including Pape Matar Sarr, Idrissa Gueye and Nampalys Mendy. When leaving Dakar, Fode Ballo-Touré felt discomfort behind his calf. We wanted to preserve it,” Cisse told the media.
“Concerning Youssouf Sabaly, his knee is fine but he also felt pain in his calf. We hope to have them back by next week. We are optimistic. Gana is back and I can count on him, even if he’s not 100%. Nampalys Mendy has done a lot of work and is ready.
Cisse also reacted to the hot weather in Ivory Coast with his Europe-based players acclimatising to the condition.
“I’ve said it before, it’s very hot in Africa,”he added. “But it’s the AFCON, not the Champions League or the European Cup.
“This is the African continent and we must adapt to its conditions. But it is clear that no doctor would recommend a match at 2 p.m. We adapted since we tried to schedule our training at this time. But it’s difficult to play football at 2 p.m.”
