Guinea have suffered another setback ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Eritrea, with forward Lamine Diaby Fadiga becoming the fourth player to withdraw from Paulo Duarte’s squad.
The Rakow Czestochowa attacker picked up an injury during Sunday’s Polish league match against Legia Warsaw and was forced off after 32 minutes.
His withdrawal adds to Guinea’s growing injury concerns, with Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, Nantes defender Saïdou Sow and goalkeeper Soumaïla Sylla also unavailable for the November fixtures.
The latest development leaves coach Duarte with problems in several areas of his team, particularly in attack, where the simultaneous absence of Guirassy and Diaby Fadiga has reduced his available options.
Guinea are scheduled to face Eritrea twice, first in Conakry on Thursday, 12 November, before travelling to Cairo, Egypt, for the return encounter on Monday, 16 November.
Both matches will kick off at 16:00 GMT.
The fixtures are particularly important for the Syli National, who are attempting to close the gap on South Africa in Group D and keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 tournament alive.
Four players withdraw from Duarte’s squad
Guinea’s injury difficulties began before Diaby Fadiga’s latest setback.
Defender Saïdou Sow was initially ruled out after sustaining a knee injury while playing for Nantes against Clermont Foot. His absence forced the technical team to make an early adjustment to the squad.
Goalkeeper Soumaïla Sylla subsequently withdrew, although the specific reason for his unavailability has not been publicly established
The situation became more complicated when Guirassy suffered a thigh injury during Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League match against Real Betis on 4 November.
The striker was substituted in the 34th minute, with medical examinations indicating that he could be sidelined for between four and six weeks.
Diaby Fadiga’s injury against Legia Warsaw has now completed a difficult sequence of withdrawals for Duarte, who must prepare for the Eritrea matches without four originally selected players.
The loss of two forwards is particularly concerning because it leaves Guinea with fewer attacking alternatives at a stage when collecting points is essential.
