With the World Cup being placed in the middle of the season, one of the big downsides footballing-wise has been that players picking up relatively short-term injuries could miss the tournament.

One of those, unfortunately, is Bayern Munich and Senegal forward Sadio Mane.

The 30-year-old recently suffered a leg injury sustained playing for his club side in a recent Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen.

There was initially hope he could recover in time for the tournament, with the national talisman named in the 26-man Senegal squad for the tournament, but, the country has now confirmed that he will not take part. A later statement from Bayern Munich confirmed that he had undergone successful surgery.

It is undoubtedly a huge blow for Senegal ahead of a tournament they are fancied to do relatively well in.

Sadio Mane has 92 caps for his country, in which he has scored 33 goals, three of which came in the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year as Senegal were crowned champions of the tournament.

However, the Lions of Teranga do have another player that could go to Qatar and shine for the nation.

That player is Championship and Watford star Ismaila Sarr.

 

 

The 24-year-old is more than familiar with being on the big stage for Senegal, having already racked up 47 appearances for his country, in which he has scored 10 goals, as per The Athletic.

That record does not quite stack up compared to Mane's just yet, but Sarr has six years on his compatriot.

At the Africa Cup of Nations, Sarr played a limited role due to injury but did manage to register a goal and an assist off the bench in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively, before starting in the final versus Egypt.

They were important moments as Senegal progressed, and with no such injuries this time around, his impact will certainly be even greater.

Sarr is also in decent goalscoring form for Watford at present, having netted six times and registered three assists for the Hornets so far this season, even despite being played out of position as a striker early on in the campaign.

With games to come against the Netherlands, host nation Qatar and Ecuador, Mane's absence means there is an opportunity for Sarr to really step up when his country needs him.

Indeed, with plenty of eyes bound to be on the tournament, it could be a real opportunity for the 24-year-old to shine.