Chris Sutton has taken to Twitter to share his thoughts on what happened to Liverpool forward Sadio Mane during Senegal’s 2-0 win on Tuesday.
What’s the story?
Well, after being put through on goal by Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy, Mane was clattered by Cape Verde keeper Vozinha in the 54th minute of the Africa Cup of Nations clash.
The shot-stopper was shown a red card, but serious fears over the Liverpool forward’s welfare arose as he laid motionless on the turf.
Thankfully, Mane dusted himself down, and actually scored just minutes later as he gave Senegal the lead in the 63rd minute.
However, the £34m man was unable to carry on, and left the field in the 70th minute.
Understandably, Sutton – who strongly campaigns for a more serious approach towards head injuries in football – was livid.
You can see what the BT Sport pundit tweeted in full below.
Sutton also wrote a column for the Daily Mail about the incident, in which he criticised Senegal for their handling of the situation.
The 48-year-old feels it would be “ridiculous” if Mane featured in Sunday’s quarter-final clash against Equatorial Guinea.
Liverpool will be angry over Sadio Mane situation
Just by watching footage of the incident, you can tell it was an awful collision.
Mane visibly loses control of his body, as his legs flail in the air while he hurtles towards the ground.
He was clearly in no condition to continue, and lasted just 16 minutes before realising he wasn’t in a good way.
Footballers are generally determined individuals, and few would willingly withdraw themselves from the game if they felt they could play on.
However, they are in no position to make that decision for themselves while the adrenaline of the game courses through their veins.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool echoed Sutton’s views and sent Senegal a strongly worded message about their handling of the injury.
Hopefully, Mane is fit to play on Sunday, although he shouldn’t go anywhere near the pitch if he still feels groggy.
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