Senegal will have to cope without Sadio Mane at the World Cup in Qatar, while Netherlands will today be without Memphis Depay for their opening Group A clash.
Mane is the star man for his country and proved so crucial in their historic AFCON win earlier this year but will now require surgery despite being named in Aliou Cisse’s 26-man squad.
As a result, Cisse has deployed Krepin Diatta and Ismaila Sarr alongside Boulaye Dia in a frontline still boasting some pretty impressive firepower, albeit one that has lost its star quality.
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Chelsea pair Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly proved colossal in Cameroon earlier this year and will continue to marshal the defence, with Premier League pair Idrissa Gueye and Nampayls Mendy adding steel and guile to the midfield.
For the Netherlands, Lous van Gaal has moved his team away from the 4-3-3 system so closely connected with his country’s footballing identity. Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt and Nathan Ake represent a stern backline, with Denzel Dumfries and Daley Blind operating as wing-backs.
Depay has been suffering with injury problems all season and will not start for the Dutch, though should be fully available when they play Ecuador on Friday.
Senegal XI: E Mendy, Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, N Mendy, Kouyate, Gueye, Cisse, Diatta, Sarr, Dia
Netherlands XI: Noppert, Dumfries, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Ake, Blind, De Jong, Berghuis, Gakpo, Janssen, Bergwijn
