A Senegal football federation board member has confirmed that Sadio Mane will not be available for the "first games" of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Bayern Munich star place at Qatar 2022 looked to be in jeopardy after he suffered a fibula injury this month.
Despite the injury, Mane was included in Aliou Cisse's 26-man squad.
The forward played an integral role in Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations victory earlier this year while he also helped his nation qualify for the World Cup by scoring the winning penalty in a shootout.
Read: Portugal star: We will try to avoid Brazil at WC by finishing 1st or 2nd
The Lions of Teranga's first clash in the competition will be against Netherlands on 21 November.
SFF board member Abdoulaye Sow has revealed will have to cope without their best player for the start of the group stages.
"We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and win without Sadio because we have 25 players apart from Sadio," Sow said.
"No one would have wanted it, but that's what's happened to us."
Read: African star: We will make it out of our World Cup group
Senegal's final two group stage matches will be against Qatar and Ecuador.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
WATCH: SENEGAL ARRIVE IN DOHA