Senegal’s Kara Mbodji In Race Against Time for World Cup

Question marks still hang over when Senegal’s center-back Kara Mbodji will return as the Russia World Cup nears.

The rocky defender has been unavailable for both club and country since December last year having sustained an injury in the 5-0 humiliating shock defeat to Club Brugge.

The 28-year-old has been invaluable for Senegal often partnering Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibally in the back-four throughout gaffer Aliou Cisse’s campaign to reach the World Cup. However, the erstwhile Genk man faces race against time and is not expected to be back until May. Meaning, he has just a month or less to prove his fitness.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“If all goes well I hope to play in three weeks. The most important thing is my health, I think first of all myself, Anderlecht next then Russia but we will see,”[/perfectpullquote]

he tells Senegalese news outlet la Derniere over the weekend.

Cisse, a former captain of the Teranga Lion in his heydays, has been courting France-born Ferland Mendy as possible replacement in case Mbodji fails to recuperate in time but the Olympique Lyon man has been coy about switching his allegiance to Senegal, his parent’s country of origin.