Sadio Mane could face several months on the sidelines after undergoing the surgery that ended his slim hopes of playing for Senegal at the World Cup.

The Bayern Munich forward underwent what his club described as a successful operation on Thursday.

Bayern said in a statement: "During the operation, a tendon was reattached to the head of his right fibula.

"The FC Bayern forward will therefore no longer be available to play for Senegal at the World Cup and will begin his rehab in Munich in the next few days."

According to widespread reports in Germany, Mane's recovery is unlikely to be a quick one, with the former Liverpool forward said to be facing possibly three to four months out of action.

African player of the year Mane sustained the leg injury when playing in Bayern's 6-1 win against Werder Bremen last week.

He was initially judged fit enough to be included in Aliou Cisse's 26-man Senegal squad for the World Cup, with hopes he could be available by the knockout stages, but subsequent medical checks confirmed the need for surgery.

A short statement from the Senegalese Football Federation read: "The FSF wishes a speedy recovery to its player Sadio Mane."

Senegal face Netherlands in their Group A opener on Monday before meeting Qatar and Ecuador.

Bayern are due to resume their Bundesliga campaign against RB Leipzig on January 20. They headed into the World Cup break as leaders, chasing an 11th consecutive German league title.

They face a Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain, with games scheduled for February 14 and March 8 in that heavyweight contest.

Sadio Mane has been ruled out of the World Cup with a fibula injury, the Senegalese Football Federation confirmed on Thursday.

Mane sustained the leg issue while playing in Bayern Munich's 2-0 win over Schalke on Saturday, though he was deemed fit enough to be included in Aliou Cisse's 26-man squad.

It was announced on Tuesday that Mane would not play any part in Senegal's opening matches, Cisse's side saying they "will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio".

But Thursday's update confirms Mane's injury will need surgery, thus ruling him out of the entire tournament in Qatar.

A short statement from the Senegalese Football Federation read: "The FSF wishes a speedy recovery to its player Sadio Mane."

It comes as a huge blow for both Mane and Senegal after he played an instrumental part in their Africa Cup of Nations triumph, scoring the winning penalty in the final against Egypt in February.

Senegal face Netherlands in their Group A opener on Monday before meeting Qatar and Ecuador, though they will have to attempt to reach the knockout stages without their star attacker.

Virgil van Dijk has expressed sympathy for Sadio Mane after his former Liverpool team-mate was ruled out of Senegal's World Cup opener against the Netherlands.

Mane's place at the tournament in Qatar looked to be in doubt when he suffered a fibula injury while representing Bayern Munich, but he was included in the Africa Cup of Nations champions' 26-man squad last week.

On Tuesday, however, Senegalese Football Federation board member Abdoulaye Sow ruled Mane out of the team's "first matches" at the World Cup.

Van Dijk missed the Netherlands' Euro 2020 campaign last year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and sympathises with Mane amid his battle to feature in Qatar.

"I don't think he will play [against the Netherlands]," Van Dijk told reporters. "I was feeling sad for him, first and foremost. I'm not happy in this case as I've been in that situation where I missed the Euros.

"We as players work so hard to get to this stage, and he has been such an important figure in that group for their country.

"I know for a fact that he will put a brave face on it, but it's tough and I feel sorry for him."

With the Netherlands missing out on qualification for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Van Dijk has had to wait until the age of 31 to appear at a major tournament.

However, the defender feels that wait will make his experience in Qatar more special, adding: "I'm really excited about playing against the best players in world football, leading out my country and representing my country in the best way possible.

"For me, it is a boyhood dream. I'm 31 now but it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to enjoy this as much. Maybe it is an even better time for me to go there because of everything that I have experienced and also we have a great group, so I am very excited about it."

As captain of Louis van Gaal's team, Van Dijk will be one of eight European skippers to wear a distinctive heart-adorned armband at the tournament to raise awareness of the OneLove campaign against discrimination.

Qatar's criminalisation of same-sex relationships and failure to address concerns about migrant workers' conditions has led to criticism of their status as World Cup hosts, but while Van Dijk is "open" to pushing for change through football, he believes FIFA should take the lead.

"I'm fully focused on the first game, and I think people higher up really should make a difference," Van Dijk said.

"Obviously when we're there, we have eyes as well. We will see things and always as a group if we feel we can make a change, we will be open to that.

"But we shouldn't be forced to do certain things which maybe you're not comfortable with. We can always try and make an impact on everything that's happening, but I'm a football player.

"I'm a human being and you guys know exactly that I'm not shy about saying exactly what I think, that's definitely the case.

"We'll see what happens, but the first thing is football. I’m not a politician. FIFA is definitely one of the responsible ones it starts with."

Neymar is primed to lead Brazil to World Cup glory in Qatar, according to former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.

The 30-year-old Neymar has had a strong start to the campaign with PSG, recording 26 goal involvements (15 goals, 11 assists) in 20 games so far, and Sissoko believes he has shown the motivation to carry that form into the World Cup, which begins on Sunday.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Sissoko predicted the Selecao to win the tournament, citing Neymar as one of the chief reasons why.

"[I think] Brazil [will win], because they have a strong team and good spirit and I think they have a big chance of winning this World Cup," he said.

"I know [Neymar is] going to be on fire this year because when you're on holiday and you decide to come back one week before you start, it is because you have good motivation. It is because you have the World Cup, so he wants to show all the Brazilian people he's a big player and he wants to bring back the World Cup to Brazil."

Sissoko, who also played for Liverpool and Juventus among others before retiring in 2019, picked out three more players he thinks will thrive at the World Cup, including two more Brazilians.

"[Aurelien] Tchouameni [of France] is a very good player," Sissoko said. "Vinicius [Junior] is going to be on fire, also Raphinha from Barcelona. I think they have good motivation to do something very good at the World Cup."

Sissoko featured for Mali as an international player, and he pointed to Morocco as one of the African teams to look out for in Qatar.

Morocco will be in Group F with Belgium, Croatia and Canada, and they recently hired French-born Walid Regragui as head coach.

"They have a good team. Not one of the best," Sissoko said. "But I think this new manager, I know him very [well]. He knows French culture, and also Moroccan culture. So I think Morocco has a good team to go far."

Five African teams will take part in Qatar, with Morocco joined by Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana and Tunisia, and Sissoko hopes they can make an impression, even if lifting the trophy might be beyond them.

"I don't know [if an African team can win the World Cup] because of big talent and big teams like Brazil, Argentina, England, and France. It is not easy to compete with them at this moment, but I think they have the quality to go to the quarter-finals," he said.

"For me, Senegal is in progress... Senegal I think is the team with more progress because they bring a lot of foreign players. You know they have good players like [Kalidou] Koulibaly, like [Sadio] Mane, and now they're starting to bring in a young player like [Ismail] Jakobs from Monaco.

"This is very important to have a strong team, a strong group. So I think Senegal also have the power to go to the quarter-finals."

Sadio Mane will miss Senegal's "first games" of the World Cup due to injury, a Senegalese Football Federation official revealed on Tuesday.

The Bayern Munich forward's place at Qatar 2022 looked to be in jeopardy after he suffered a fibula injury this month, but he was included in Aliou Cisse's 26-man squad.

However, Mane will not feature in Senegal's clash against the Netherlands next Monday and Senegalese Football Federation board member Abdoulaye Sow revealed that will not be the only Group A match he will miss.

Senegal will face hosts Qatar next Thursday before taking on Ecuador in their final group match on November 29.

Sow stated: "Senegal will have to cope without its best player for the start of the tournament and not whine too much.

"We will have to rely on playing the first games without Sadio and win without Sadio because we have 25 players apart from Sadio.

"No one would have wanted it, but that's what's happened to us."

Mane starred as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations this year and he has made an impressive start to his Bayern career following his move from Liverpool.

The 30-year-old's injury will prevent his from coming up against his former Reds team-mate Virgil van Dijk next week.

Sadio Mane has been named in Senegal's squad for the World Cup despite suffering a fibula injury less than two weeks before the tournament begins.

The Bayern Munich attacker limped out of his side's 6-1 Bundesliga thrashing of Werder Bremen on Tuesday, and the Bavarian giants subsequently confirmed he had injured his right fibula head.

Reports in Germany and France said Mane's availability for Senegal's World Cup campaign – which begins against the Netherlands on November 21 – was in question, but Bayern did not rule him out of the tournament.

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has opted to take a risk on Mane by naming him in his 26-man party for the trip to Qatar, though he acknowledges the former Liverpool star's condition must improve if he is to feature.

"We are monitoring the situation and have sent one of our doctors to assess him," Cisse said at a press conference in Dakar on Friday.

"On Thursday, Sadio spent the whole day in Munich before travelling to Austria for further tests. The good news is that he does not need an operation.

"We want the situation to evolve in two to three weeks. I don't want to rule him out."

Mane scored the winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year, and he has been directly involved in 12 of the last 25 goals scored by Senegal players at major tournaments (AFCON and World Cup), netting nine and assisting three.

Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly will captain the Lions of Teranga in Qatar, with Blues team-mate Edouard Mendy also set to start in goal.

Senegal squad: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Edouard Mendy (Chelsea); Fode Ballo-Toure (Milan), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis); Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham); Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaila Sarr (Watford).

Bayern Munich have confirmed Sadio Mane sustained an injury to his right fibula head, though did not rule the Senegal star out of the FIFA World Cup.

Mane went off injured during Bayern's rout of Werder Bremen on Tuesday.

Julian Nagelsmann subsequently revealed Mane had suffered a suspected shin issue and would be assessed further on Wednesday, though reports in France and Germany claimed the 30-year-old former Liverpool attacker would not return to fitness in time to feature for Senegal in Qatar.

On Wednesday, Bayern confirmed the nature of Mane's injury, with the problem sustained at the top of his right fibula, with the Bundesliga champions ruling him out of their clash with Schalke on Saturday.

Bayern stated: "Mane suffered an injury to his right fibula head. He is out for the game against Schalke.

"Further examinations will follow in the next few days, FC Bayern will be in contact with the medical side of the Senegalese Football Association."

The Africa Cup of Nations winners name their squad on Friday, and it remains to be seen whether Mane will be risked, given his importance to Senegal's chances of progressing from Group A, which includes the Netherlands, Ecuador and hosts Qatar.

Sadio Mane has suffered an injury scare less than two weeks before the World Cup after limping off during Bayern Munich's Bundesliga clash with Werder Bremen.

The Senegal forward was substituted in the 21st minute at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, having received treatment on the pitch and subsequently signalled to the bench he could not continue.

Mane was involved in Bayern's opening goal, which was scored by Jamal Musiala, but his substitution will clearly concern his country.

Senegal's World Cup opener against the Netherlands is on November 21, giving Mane little time to recover from any issue.

Reigning Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Senegal and continental powerhouse Ivory Coast have been drawn together for the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The biennial tournament is due to be held in Algeria in January and February 2023, with 18 teams competing across five groups. The participants must consist only of players playing in their domestic national league competitions.

Group B looms as the toughest with Senegal drawn alongside two-time AFCON winners Ivory Coast, as well as DR Congo and Uganda. DR Congo missed out on 2022 World Cup qualification in the playoffs to Morocco.

Hosts Algeria are in Group A with 2014 winners Libya, Ethiopia and Mozambique, while Morocco, who have lifted the past two African Nations Championship titles, are in Group C with Ghana, Sudan and Madagascar.

Mali, Angola and Mauritania are in Group D and Cameroon, Congo and Niger make up Group E.

Egypt, who lost last year's AFCON final to Senegal, along with 2022 World Cup participants Tunisia did not enter, while Nigeria failed to qualify.

Bayern Munich defender Bouna Sarr has confirmed he will miss Senegal's World Cup campaign after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

The 30-year-old has struggled with the problem for the past couple of years, restricting him to just 12 appearances for Bayern last season and none in the 2022-23 campaign.

Sarr started all seven of Senegal's games in their Africa Cup of Nations triumph earlier this year, but the versatile right-sided player will play no part for his country in Qatar.

"I don't know how to express my disappointment to be away from the pitch for the coming months and especially to miss a World Cup," Sarr, capped 13 times, posted on Instagram.

"It was not an easy decision to make, but after many months of thinking, I understood it would be the wisest, and above all the most reasonable, decision for the rest of my career."

Sarr joined Bayern from Marseille in October 2020 and has played 27 times for the German giants in all competitions, 10 of those being starts.

FIFA has confirmed the 2022 World Cup will start a day earlier than originally planned in order to allow hosts Qatar to face Ecuador in the opening match of the tournament.

Qatar had originally been set to open their first World Cup campaign on Monday November 21, with Group A rivals Senegal and the Netherlands scheduled to get the competition under way earlier that day.

But a unanimous decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council means Felix Sanchez's Qatar side will now begin the tournament on Sunday November 20 at 7pm local time – continuing the tradition of the home side playing first.

The opening ceremony has also been brought forward a day to November 20.

"The FIFA World Cup 2022 will kick off with an even greater celebration for local and international fans as host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday, 20 November as part of a stand-alone event," read a statement issued by FIFA.

"The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the FIFA World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions. 

"The decision followed an assessment of the competition and operational implications, as well as a thorough consultation process and an agreement with key stakeholders and the host country."

The decision means the Netherlands' fixture against Senegal has been moved to a later time slot on November 21, and will now follow on from England's Group B opener versus Iran.

The World Cup hosts have featured in the opening match of the tournament since the 2006 edition in Germany, where Jurgen Klinsmann's team beat Costa Rica 4-2.

Between the 1974 and 2002 tournaments, the defending champions opened the tournament, with France infamously going down to Senegal in the last World Cup to follow that tradition.

Sadio Mane has been named African Footballer of the Year for 2022, seeing off competition from former Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah and Chelsea's Edouard Mendy at Thursday's CAF awards.

The Bayern Munich new boy, who was also crowned the continent's top player in 2019, helped Senegal win their first Africa Cup of Nations title in February, scoring the winning penalty to down Salah's Egypt in the final.

The forward scored three goals throughout the competition in Cameroon, after which he was crowned Player of the Tournament.

One month later, Mane was influential in another shoot-out win over the Pharaohs, as Senegal sealed qualification for the World Cup in Qatar later this year. 

On the domestic front, meanwhile, Mane scored 23 goals in all competitions as Liverpool won the EFL and FA Cups during his final season at Anfield.

Mane made 51 appearances across a mammoth 2021-22 campaign with the Reds, a tally only bettered by Jordan Henderson (57), Diogo Jota (55) and Allison (54).

Oliver Kahn, chief executive of Mane's new employers Bayern, was the first to offer his congratulations to the 30-year-old, writing on Twitter: "We are very happy about Sadio Mane's award. 

"FC Bayern has never had an African Footballer of the Year in its ranks in its long history, which is a special honour for our club.

"We are very proud that he is now on the ball for our club and have many big goals with him."

While Chelsea shot-stopper Mendy missed out on being crowned the continent's best player, he could draw some consolation from Senegal's clean sweep of awards.

The Lions of Teranga were named CAF's team of the year, while boss Aliou Cisse won Coach of the Year and midfielder Pape Matar Sarr scooped the Young Player of the Year gong.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Edouard Mendy have made the final three-man shortlist for the African Football's (CAF) Men's Player of the Year award.

The trio all plied their trade in the Premier League last season, though Mane has since left Liverpool to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Mane scored 23 goals in 51 games for Liverpool in his final season at Anfield, winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup and reaching the Champions League final, as well as scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out to win the Africa Cup of Nations for Senegal in February.

His former Reds team-mate Salah was on the losing Egypt side in that AFCON final, but had a stellar club campaign in 2021-22, scoring 31 goals in 51 games for Jurgen Klopp's men.

Mendy did not enjoy the same success for Chelsea as he had in 2020-21 when he won the Champions League, though kept 22 clean sheets in 49 games in all competitions in 2021-22, and did lift the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues, while also being a part of the successful Senegal team at the AFCON in Cameroon

The seven players to miss out from the 10-man longlist released last week are another Liverpool man in Naby Keita, Mendy's new Chelsea and international team-mate Kalidou Koulibaly, as well as Riyad Mahrez, Vincent Aboubakar, Karl Toko Ekambi, Achraf Hakimi and Sebastien Haller.

Due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been three years since the award was handed out, with Mane winning in 2019 ahead of Salah and Mahrez.

The final three for the Women's Player of the Year award are Grace Chanda of Zambia and BIIK Kazygurt, Ajara Nchout Njoya of Cameroon and Inter, and Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria and Barcelona.

The winners of both awards will be announced on Thursday.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool after striking a deal worth up to €41million (£35.2m) to sign the Senegal forward.

Mane hinted at his desire to leave Liverpool after their Champions League final loss to Real Madrid last month, at the end of a season in which he scored 23 goals.

With Liverpool signing striker Darwin Nunez in a reported £64million (€75m) deal from Benfica last week and Mane having just 12 months left on his contract, the 30-year-old has been allowed to depart after six successful years at Anfield.

He has played a key role in Liverpool winning their first Premier League title in 2020, reaching three Champions League finals - and winning one of them - and triumphs in the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the 2021-22 season.

Mane has signed a three-year contract with the Bundesliga champions.

"I'm really happy to finally be at FC Bayern in Munich," Mane said after the transfer was completed on Wednesday.

"We spoke a lot and I felt big interest from this great club right from the beginning, so for me there were no doubts. 

"It's the right time for this challenge. I want to achieve a lot with this club, in Europe too. During my time in Salzburg I watched a lot of Bayern games - I really like this club!"

Stats Perform understands Bayern will pay Liverpool a guaranteed sum of €32million (£27.5m) plus €6m (£5.2m) based on appearances, while a further €3m (£2.5m) is dependent on the Bavarian club and Mane meeting performance-related objectives.

Mane scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League games for Liverpool after joining Jurgen Klopp's side from Southampton in 2016.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), Mane's Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have managed more goals in the competition across that period.

As well as lifting both domestic cups during a successful final season with Liverpool, Mane played a key role as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations title in February and qualified for the World Cup a month later.

Mane also struck up a brilliant partnership with fellow forward Salah at Liverpool, and his sale marks something akin to the end of an era for the Reds.

It remains to be seen what Mane's arrival means for the future of Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski, who has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer said earlier this month he was "confident" Lewandowski will stay at the Allianz Arena, despite the Poland international declaring his time at the club is "over" and pushing for a move ahead of his contract expiring in 2023.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool after striking a deal worth up to €41million (£35.2m) to sign the Senegal forward.

Mane hinted at his desire to leave Liverpool after their Champions League final loss to Real Madrid last month, at the end of a season in which he scored 23 goals.

With Liverpool signing striker Darwin Nunez in a reported £64million (€75m) deal from Benfica last week and Mane having just 12 months left on his contract, the 30-year-old has been allowed to depart after six successful years at Anfield.

He has played a key role in Liverpool winning their first Premier League title in 2020, reaching three Champions League finals - and winning one of them - and triumphs in the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the 2021-22 season.

Mane has signed a three-year contract with the Bundesliga champions. Stats Perform understands Bayern will pay Liverpool a guaranteed sum of €32million (£27.5m) plus €6m (£5.2m) based on appearances, while a further €3m (£2.5m) is dependent on the Bavarian club and Mane meeting performance-related objectives.

Mane scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League games for Liverpool after joining Jurgen Klopp's side from Southampton in 2016.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), Mane's Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have managed more goals in the competition across that period.

As well as lifting both domestic cups during a successful final season with Liverpool, Mane played a key role as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations title in February and qualified for the World Cup a month later.

Mane also struck up a brilliant partnership with fellow forward Salah at Liverpool, and his sale marks something akin to the end of an era for the Reds.

It remains to be seen what Mane's arrival means for the future of Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski, who has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer said earlier this month he was "confident" Lewandowski will stay at the Allianz Arena, despite the Poland international declaring his time at the club is "over" and pushing for a move ahead of his contract expiring in 2023.