Moussa Niakhaté has been ruled out of Senegal’s meeting with Comoros on 4 October after the Lyon defender suffered an injury while on international duty.
The 30-year-old centre-back underwent an MRI scan in Marseille, with the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) confirming that he will leave the Teranga Lions camp and return to Olympique Lyonnais for further medical treatment.
The nature and severity of Niakhaté’s injury have not yet been specified.
His absence is a setback for Senegal manager Patrick Vieira, who will now have to make changes to his central defensive pairing for the match at Marseille’s Vélodrome.
Niakhaté underwent the examination after picking up the injury while with the national team.
Following the results, Vieira decided to release the defender from the squad rather than keep him with the team for the Comoros game.
The FSF said: “Injured, the Senegalese defender underwent an MRI this morning in Marseille. After the exams, Patrick Vieira decided to release him. Niakhaté is rejoining his club to continue his medical treatment.”
The defender will therefore miss Saturday’s fixture against Comoros, where Senegal will be looking to continue their preparations after the opening two matches of the September international window.
Niakhaté had played a prominent role in those games, featuring in Senegal’s 1-1 draw with Mozambique and their 1-0 victory over Ethiopia.
Both matches were part of Senegal’s opening two rounds of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Lyon defender also wore the captain’s armband in both fixtures, underlining his importance to Vieira during the early stages of the qualifying campaign.
His absence means Vieira must now identify a new central defensive combination for the encounter with Comoros, known as the Coelacanths.
Senegal began their qualifying campaign with a draw against Mozambique before securing their first win against Ethiopia.
The victory provided Vieira with a positive result as he continues to implement his plans with the Teranga Lions.
The Senegal coach had previously described the team as being in the process of introducing a new tactical approach after their opening matches.
However, the injury to Niakhaté means Vieira will have to make an adjustment to his defensive plans ahead of the Vélodrome fixture.
Senegal’s meeting with Comoros is scheduled for 4 October at the Vélodrome, with Vieira now facing a defensive selection issue after losing a player who started both of the team’s opening AFCON qualifying matches and captained the side on each occasion.
