Senegal have named their 28-man squad for the World Cup.Talismanic forward Sadio Mane, the country’s record scorer with 53 international goals, is the biggest name in Pape Thiaw’s 28-man selection.The former Liverpool star, 34, who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, missed the Qatar World Cup in 2022 with a knee injury.In January’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final Mane was crucial in persuading his team-mates to return after they left the field in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a controversial penalty.Senegal returned and won the game 1-0 thanks to Pape Gueye’s extra-time goal, though African football’s governing body CAF later declared Morocco winners.There are seven Premier League representatives, including Chelsea’s Mamadou Sarr, midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye and forwards Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr.Como winger Assane Diao, 20, is back after missing AFCON with an injury amid a club-versus-country row.Head coach Cesc Fabregas played Diao against Roma, where he picked up an injury which ruled him out of the tournament.Fabregas, speaking to Sky Italia, had criticised Diao’s initial inclusion in the squad, while admitting the winger “probably shouldn’t have played” against Roma, but thought it was worth taking “the risk” as he would be unavailable for Como due to his AFCON commitments.Thiaw must cut his squad by two to the FIFA-mandated 26 before June 2.Are there any surprise omissions?Perhaps former Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo, who plays for Qatari side Umm-Salal.
Senegal World Cup squad: Mane in, Diao returns, surprise call-up for Ndiaye, 18
Senegal face France, Norway and Iraq in a tough-looking Group I in the U.S., Canada and Mexico this summer.










