News of Sadio Mane’s selection to start in Senegal’s impending quarter-final clash with Equatorial Guinea will hardly please Liverpool fans, let alone the Reds’ coaching staff, as reported by BBC Sport.
The No.10 had suffered a concussion following a severe head-to-head collision with Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, though had carried on playing in the tie before being later withdrawn.
According to the FA’s rules, the recommended rest period after sustaining a concussion is two weeks.
Even with leeway, starting a game five days after suffering from concussion – a whopping nine days fewer than the recommended recovery timeframe – seems entirely negligent to say the least.
We can more than respect that Aliou Cisse’s men have ambitions of winning the AFCON this year and that our No.10 is a vital part of their hopes of doing so, however, it seems the player’s safety and wellbeing has been overridden by team ambition.
We’d love nothing more than to see our stars enjoy success with their respective nations – but not at the cost of their personal health.