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Senegal team news: Predicted 4-1-4-1 line up vs Algeria – Liverpool ace back, key man out
SENEGAL are set to welcome Sadio Mane back to their starting XI when the Lions of Teranga face Algeria in their latest Africa Cup of Nations match.
Afcon: Senegal team train ahead of Algeria clash
The Liverpool star missed Senegal’s opening game of the competition through suspension after picking up too many yellow cards during the qualifying campaign.
Aliou Cisse’s side coped well without their talisman, comfortably seeing off Tanzania 2-0 thanks to goals from Keita Balde and Krepin Diatta.
And now Mane is expected to return in attack, replacing the misfiring M’Baye Niang who managed just one shot on target from eight attempts last Sunday.
While Cisse will be pleased to welcome Mane back to the fold, the Senegal coach will be without Salif Sane after the centre-back suffered an ankle injury last time out.
Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is expected to fill in at the back, having come on to replace the Schalke defender against Tanzania.
And Kouyate will have his hands full with an Algeria outfit boasting the threat of Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez.
The 28-year-old was on target during his side’s 2-0 win over Kenya, and whoever wins this clash knows they are most likely to finish top of Group C and secure a favourable draw in the next round.
Apart from Mane’s return and the enforced absence of Sane, Cisse is unlikely to tinker too much with a winning formula so Edouard Mendy will retain his spot between the sticks.
Kalidou Koulibaly will be joined by Youssouf Salaby and Moussa Wague at the back while Idrissa Gueye and Badou Ndiaye will line up in central midfield.
Keita and Arsenal target Ismaila Sarr should start out wide with Mbaye Diagne and Pape Moussa Konate options off the bench.
Speaking ahead of his return to the XI, Mane said: “We're preparing well. We know they will be tough but everything is possible with Senegal, we will do our best to win this game.
“I looked at the first half of the game against Tanzania – it's a good team [but] we played well. The victory [on Sunday] was well deserved and I think we also dominated the whole game and created a lot of opportunitie
Senegal predicted line-up vs Algeria – Africa Cup of Nations
(4-1-4-1): Mendy; Wague, Kouyate, Koulibaly, Sabaly; Ndiaye; Sarr, Diatta, Gueye, Keita; Mane