Edouard Mendy has been ruled out of Senegal’s World Cup round-of-32 game against Belgium on Wednesday night due to injury.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper was replaced by Mory Diaw in the 63rd minute of the 3-2 defeat to Norway last Tuesday after suffering a knee problem.
Mendy then missed Senegal’s 5-0 win over Iraq in their final group game last Friday.
Diaw replaces Mendy once again as Senegal face Belgium for a place in the round of 16 where they will play either the United States or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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‘He’ll be with us tomorrow, of course, even if he won’t be fit to play,’ Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw said of Mendy in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
‘We are happy to see him. We hope that he can be with us for the rest of the competition.’
A statement from Senegal last Friday read: ‘The Senegalese Football Federation inform the public that goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has sustained an injury to his left knee during the match between Senegal and Norway on Monday.
‘Following the initial medical examinations undertaken by the national team’s medical staff, the player is declared to be unavailable for Senegal’s next match.
‘The appropriate care as well as complementary medical examinations are currently being undertaken in order to evaluate with precision the nature of the injury and determine whether he will be able to participate further in the competition.
‘The Senegalese Football Federation address to Edouard Mendy our wishes for his swift recovery and hope to see him soon on the pitch.’
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