Senegal confident injured trio will be ready for Cup of Nations

Senegal have included three players who have been carrying injuries in their squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, confident that they will be ready when the tournament in Morocco kicks off later this month.

Assane Diao, Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr were all uncertain about making the squad, but coach Pape Thiaw named them on Saturday in a 28-man selection, telling a press conference that he was confident they would be ready to play.

Diao suffered a thigh injury playing for Como in Serie A last weekend, while Sunderland’s Diarra had groin surgery in September and has not played since.

Sarr was forced off with an ankle ligament injury in the first half of Crystal Palace’s 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United on November 30 and has missed his side’s last three matches.

Senegal compete in Group D at the finals, opening their campaign against Botswana in Tangier on December 23 and also taking on Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo in their group.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Mory Diaw (Le Havre), Yehvann Diouf (Nice), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli)

Defenders: Ilay Camara (Anderlecht), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), El Hadji Malik Diouf (West Ham United), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Moussa Niakhate (Olympique Lyonnais), Mamadou Sarr (Racing Strasbourg), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa)

Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Monaco), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Habib Diallo (Metz), Assane Diao (Como), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris St Germain), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace).