Senegal defender Moussa Niakhaté has been ruled out of Saturday’s match against Comoros after an MRI scan confirmed an injury.
The 30-year-old centre-back underwent the examination in Marseille on Wednesday morning, with the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) subsequently confirming that he would leave the national team squad.
Niakhaté will return to his club, Olympique Lyonnais, where he will continue his medical treatment.
The injury means Senegal head coach Patrick Vieira will have to make changes to his central defence for the meeting with Comoros at Marseille’s Vélodrome stadium on 4 October.
The FSF confirmed the defender’s absence after the scan in Marseille.
“Blessé, Moussa Niakhaté est forfait pour le match Sénégal–Comores du 4 octobre au stade Vélodrome. La FSF indique que le défenseur a passé une IRM à Marseille avant d’être libéré par Patrick Vieira pour poursuivre sa prise en charge médicale en club.”
Niakhaté’s withdrawal is a significant setback for Vieira, with the Lyon defender having played an important role in Senegal’s previous matches during the September international window.
He featured in the opening two games, against Mozambique and Ethiopia, as Senegal began their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The defender also wore the captain’s armband in both matches. Senegal drew 1-1 with Mozambique before recording a 1-0 victory against Ethiopia.
His absence against Comoros leaves Vieira with a defensive decision to make as Senegal prepare for the next stage of their qualifying campaign.
The Senegal team also confirmed that Niakhaté had undergone an MRI in Marseille before being released from the squad.
“Notre joueur Moussa Niakhaté, blessé, a passé une IRM ce matin à Marseille. Après les examens, Patrick Vieira a décidé de le libérer. Le défenseur est donc forfait pour Sénégal–Comores, prévu le 4 octobre au Vélodrome, et rejoint son club pour poursuivre sa prise en charge…”
Niakhaté will now continue his recovery with Olympique Lyonnais rather than remain with the Senegal squad for Saturday’s fixture.
The match against Comoros will be played at the Vélodrome in Marseille, where Senegal will look to continue their progress in the early stages of qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Vieira, the immediate task will be to reorganise his central defensive partnership following the loss of a player who started both of Senegal’s previous qualifying matches and captained the side on those occasions.
The Senegal coach must now identify a replacement for Niakhaté ahead of the encounter with Comoros, whose national team are known as the Coelacanths.
With the defender returning to Lyon for further medical care, Senegal will go into the Vélodrome fixture without one of the central figures from their opening two matches of the qualifying campaign.
