Senegal's FIFA World Cup hopes might have been dealt a hammer blow with L'Equipe reporting that star man Sadio Mane will miss the tournament in Qatar through injury.
According to the French outlet, the 30-year-old picked up a tendon problem during Bayern Munich's 6-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Tuesday and it will require weeks of recovery.
Although Mane himself and the German giants' medical staff were optimistic that the injury was not serious, L'Equipe report that it is more than a simple knock as first suspected.
The former Liverpool man is said to be suffering from a tendon issue which will require weeks out of action with the World Cup due to start in just over 10 days and Aliou Cisse set to name his Senegal squad later this week.
"Sadio Mane suffered an injury to his right fibula during Bayern-Werder," read a Bavarian club statement. "He will miss the game against Schalke. Further examinations will follow in the coming days, and FC Bayern are in contact with the medical staff of the Senegalese Football Association."
Mane helped the Lions of Teranga to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations title and the CAF champions were expected to advance from World Cup Group A ahead of the likes of Ecuador and hosts Qatar.
The Netherlands are favorites to finish top of the four-team pool but talismanic Mane's loss for Senegal could open the door for an underrated Ecuador side to advance.
If confirmed by Cisse, the Senegalese Football Federation, or Bayern, Mane will join the growing list of high-profile individuals to be missing this winter's World Cup after Germany and RB Leipzig's Timo Werner just last week.
After a tricky start to life at Allianz Arena, Mane has started to find his feet for Bayern who will face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 next February which you can watch live on Paramount+.
The ex-Southampton, Red Bull Salzburg and FC Metz man has six Bundesliga goals with three assists to his name with a further three goals and an assist in the Champions League and another strike in the DFB Pokal for a total of 10 goals so far in Bavaria.