Senegal forward Keita Balde will miss his country’s 2022 World Cup campaign after he was suspended from playing football until December 5.
Balde’s 90-day football ban came after he violated protocols regarding anti-doping tests, an incident which occurred in April.
The winger was called to give a drugs test after Cagliari – the Italian side he left in the summer to join Russian outfit Spartak Moscow – lost 5-1 to Udinese in April.
The 27-year-old returned a negative result but in a statement on their website, Spartak confirmed the player had still been adjudged to have broken protocol and has consequently been suspended by the Italian National Anti-Doping Court.
The ban ruled him out until the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and this prompted coach Aliou Cisse to omit him from his squad to play at the global tournament.
Senegal play the Netherlands on November 21 in their opening Group A match. They also face hosts Qatar and Ecuador.
Balde has played 40 times for the Teranga Lions and was part of the team that won the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.