Mané
Pape Thiaw announced Senegal's provisional 28-man World Cup squad on Thursday, and its defining feature is a gamble. Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegal's captain and defensive fulcrum, has not played since April 8. He sustained a thigh contusion with a hematoma during an Al-Hilal training session — a freak collision with a teammate — and has missed his club's last seven matches. His coach at Al-Hilal, Simone Inzaghi, has given no return date. Thiaw included him anyway.
"He's the glue that holds the team together, he's the captain," Thiaw told journalists. "He's in the process of a positive rehabilitation and, with three weeks to go, I think he'll be really ready. The World Cup isn't a sprint, it's a marathon."
The squad will be trimmed to 26 before the June 2 deadline, but the 28 named tell you what Thiaw values: experience, Premier League pedigree, and the last act of Sadio Mané. The Al-Nassr forward, Senegal's all-time leading scorer with 53 goals in 126 caps, has indicated this will be his final tournament for the Lions of Teranga. He is 34.
The midfield is deep and physical. Idrissa Gana Gueye anchors it — 131 caps, the most of any Senegalese international — with Pape Matar Sarr of Tottenham alongside him. Sarr played every qualifying match. Lamine Camara of Monaco and Habib Diarra of Sunderland provide depth behind them, and the inclusion of Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, on loan at Bayern Munich, signals Thiaw's willingness to trust the next generation.
Nicolas Jackson, on loan at Bayern Munich from Chelsea (who are not expected to exercise their purchase option), leads the forward line alongside Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr and the rising Ibrahim Mbaye of PSG. Bamba Dieng's recall is the other selection story: the Lorient forward has scored 10 goals in 22 Ligue 1 appearances this season and returns to the international setup after two years away.
If Koulibaly cannot recover, Mamadou Sarr, Moussa Niakhaté, and Abdoulaye Seck are Thiaw's options at center-back. The uncapped Moustapha Mbow of Paris FC provides additional depth.
The notable absentees: Malang Sarr of RC Lens, who had been rumored to be in contention, is left out entirely. Boulaye Dia, a Lazio loanee who featured in the AFCON campaign, has also been left out.
The squad
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli), Mory Diaw (Le Havre), Yehvann Diouf (OGC Nice)
Defenders: Krépin Diatta (AS Monaco), Antoine Mendy (OGC Nice), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham), Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea), Moussa Niakhaté (Lyon), Moustapha Mbow (Paris FC), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa), Ismaïl Jakobs (Galatasaray), Ilay Camara (Anderlecht)
Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Lamine Camara (AS Monaco), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham), Bara Sapoko Ndiaye (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr), Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Assane Diao (Como), Ibrahim Mbaye (PSG), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), Bamba Dieng (Lorient), Chérif Ndiaye (Samsunspor)
Senegal open against France on June 16 at MetLife Stadium in New York, face Norway on June 22 at MetLife Stadium, and conclude their Group I campaign against Iraq on June 26 at BMO Field in Toronto.