Injury crisis hits Ivorian hopes

The Ivory Coast have suffered a series of injury setbacks as they prepare for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Mali in Bamako on Friday with midfielder Jean-Michael Seri the latest to pull out of the Group C encounter, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Seri from French club Nice joins captain Gervinho (Hebei Fortune), Seydou Doumbia (Sporting Lisbon), Wilfried Bony (Swansea City) and Adama Traore from Turkish club Goztepespor on the sidelines.

The five had all been named in an original squad that already was without long-term injury victims Max-Alain Gradel (Toulouse) and Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace).

Nicolas Pepe from French Ligue 1 club Lille and Mamadou Bagayoko from Belgium’s OH Leuven have been called up as a replacements.

The Ivorians have a precarious one-point lead in the group over Morocco.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Zadi Horthalin Ble (Africa Sports), Sylvain Gbohou (TP Mazembe Englebert, DR Congo), Axel Kacou (Tours, France)

Defenders: Serge Aurier (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Mamadou Bagayoko (OH Leuven, Belgium), Eric Bailly (Manchester United, England), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (FSV Mainz 05, Germany), Joris Gnagnon (Stade Rennes, France), Wilfried Kanon (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands), Ghislain Konan (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal), Lamine Kone (Sunderland, England)

Midfielders: Roger Assale (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland), Serey Die (FC Basle, Switzerland), Cheick Doukoure (Levante, Spain), Seko Fofana (Udinese, Italy), Franck Kessie (AC Milan, Italy), Sekou Sanogo (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland)

Forwards: Maxwell Cornet (Olympique Lyonnais, France), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin), Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa, England), Nicolas Pepe (Lille, France).