Former Senegal defender Lamine Sané is confident that the Teranga Lions could replace captain Kalidou Koulibaly in the backline, should the 34-year-old miss out on the FIFA World Cup as he struggles to recover from a freak thigh injury.
Koulibaly hasn't played for club side Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League since April 8 after colliding innocuously with a teammate during a training session, and with no date given for his return, his participation at the tournament that kicks off on June 11 is a major doubt.
Last week, Koulibaly's club coach Simone Inzaghi expressed shock at the bizarre nature of the defender's injury, where he picked up a potentially serious "thigh contusion with a hematoma" after bumping into a teammate.
As of late April, the defender was still unable to run, and will miss Al Hilal's King's Cup of Champions final against Al Kholood in Jeddah on Friday May 8. He would then only have three Saudi Pro League games during the rest of the month to attempt to return to action before the World Cup.
The injury leaves him with little time to make an on-field comeback in time for the global football showpiece, which begins on June 11, with Senegal set to meet Saudi Arabia in a pre-tournament friendly in San Antonio on June 9.
However, former Senegal international Sané is confident that the West Africans have players capable of stepping up and replacing the long-standing skipper should he fail to recover in time.
"We have players capable of filling his absence and Senegal has what it takes to compete in the World Cup," he told the Agence de Presse Sénégalaise. "We mustn't be afraid, that's football. You can't control injuries.
"If Kalidou Koulibaly doesn't come, it will be a huge disappointment," Sané, who currently oversees Senegal's U-17 team, added. "He's the captain, he's the key player for the national team."
Koulibaly is coming off the back of a testing Africa Cup of Nations in which he was twice sent off -- ensuring he was suspended for the final victory over Morocco -- although he did play his part in a fine defensive record where the Lions conceded twice in seven matches.
The dressing-room leader was named in Pape Thiaw's squad for the March internationals, but didn't feature against either Peru or The Gambia as Mamadou Sarr, Abdoulaye Seck, Moussa Niakhaté and debutant Nobel Mendy alternated duties in the heart of the backline.
Sane added: "There are plenty of Senegalese players around the world. If the coach makes choices and Kalidou is unavailable, there will be replacements.
"It's like when Kalidou Koulibaly joined the team; he replaced some players. I have faith in the coach and the team. I think they will achieve great things."
Senegal are then due to open their campaign against France in East Rutherford on June 16, before taking on Norway at the same venue six days later. They conclude their Group I campaign against Iraq in Toronto on June 26.
The team's tournament preparations have already endured some friction this week, amidst reports that six members of the Senegalese Football Federation have been refused entry visas to the United States.
Should he make the cut, Koulibaly would be set to feature at his third World Cup, having been part of the Teranga Lions selection in 2018 and 2022.
