DOHA: Tunisia forward Youssef Msakni has been ruled out of the World Cup after agonizingly suffering a cruciate ligament injury while playing his final league game of the season.
In a statement on Sunday, his club, Qatar’s Al Duhail, said Msakni would not play until October at the earliest after injuring his knee.
“Msakni will be absent for six months, and with this injury he... will be absent from participation with his national team in the World Cup in Russia,” read the statement.
The World Cup begins on June 14.
The 27-year-old, who had been instrumental in helping Tunisia qualify for the finals, announced on his Instagram page that he was “very sad” to miss the tournament.
His absence is a major blow to Tunisia’s hopes of progressing from a group also including Belgium, England and Panama.
Msakni was the team’s top scorer with three goals in the team’s successful final qualifying round for Russia.
Tunisia, known as the “Carthage Lions,” play their first game against England in Volgograd on June 18.
Msakni injured himself playing in a match against Al Sailiya on April 7, which saw his Al Duhail team crowned as Qatari league champions, finishing ahead of second-placed Al Sadd, captained by Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez.
‘Very sad’ Tunisia star Msakni ruled out of World Cup
‘Very sad’ Tunisia star Msakni ruled out of World Cup
Arsenal get title boost as Man City and Villa both drop points
- Second-placed City remain five points behind Arsenal who can stretch the lead to eight if they beat Liverpool on Thursday
- Third-placed Villa are also five behind after they could only draw 0-0 in a dour contest at Crystal Palace
- Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth fans a farewell gift before his expected move to Manchester City, scoring in stoppage time to give his side a 3-2 victory at home against Tottenham
LONDON: Arsenal’s Premier League title prospects were enhanced without them even kicking a ball on Wednesday as their closest challengers Manchester City and Aston Villa both dropped points.
Erling Haaland scored his 150th goal for City as he put them in front against Brighton and Hove Albion from the penalty spot but Kaoru Mitoma equalized for the visitors on the hour with the game finishing 1-1.
It was the third successive draw for stuttering City who were held by Sunderland on New Year’s Day and by Chelsea at the weekend when they also conceded an equalizer.
“The result is the result. I’m not a person who believes what we have done isn’t fair,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
Second-placed City remain five points behind Arsenal who can stretch the lead to eight if they beat Liverpool on Thursday.
Third-placed Villa are also five behind after they could only draw 0-0 in a dour contest at Crystal Palace, Ollie Watkins going closest for Villa with a late effort against the woodwork.
Chelsea’s new manager Liam Rosenior watched on in the stands at Craven Cottage as his new club went down 2-1 at Fulham after having Marc Cucurella sent off midway through the first half.
Raul Jimenez gave Fulham the lead and although Liam Delap equalized for the visitors, Harry Wilson sealed the points for Fulham. Defeat left Chelsea down in eighth place.
Sesko scores twice
Two days after sacking manager Ruben Amorim, Manchester United could only draw 2-2 at 19th-placed Burnley.
Benjamin Sesko scored twice for United, doubling his tally for the season, but it was not enough to give caretaker manager Darren Fletcher a win as Jaidon Anthony’s equalizer earned Burnley a point. United slipped to seventh.
Brentford moved into fifth spot as Brazilian striker Igor Thiago followed up his hat-trick at the weekend against Everton with two goals in a 3-0 home victory over Sunderland to take his league tally for the season to 16.
“He’s a complete center forward,” said Brentford manager Keith Andrews. “I wouldn’t be swapping him for anybody.”
Newcastle United trailed three times in a thriller at home to Leeds United but emerged with an astonishing 4-3 victory to move into the top six thanks to a last-gasp goal by Harvey Barnes after Bruno Guimaraes had equalized for the hosts from the penalty spot in the 91st minute.
Barnes’s goal arrived in the 102nd minute, the latest winning goal in Premier League history.
Bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers’ recent upturn continued with a 1-1 draw at Everton.
Everton ended the game with nine men after Michael Keane, who scored their goal, and Jack Grealish were both sent off late on — Keane for an apparent hair pull on Tolu Arokodare.
‘No man deserves it more’
Antoine Semenyo gave Bournemouth fans a farewell gift before his expected move to Manchester City, scoring in stoppage time to give his side a 3-2 victory at home against Tottenham Hotspur, his side’s first win in 12 league games.
“That was the type of stuff you write in movies and no man deserves it more than him,” Marcus Tavernier said of his soon-to-be former teammate.
Semenyo illustrated just why City are prepared to pay £65 million ($87.46 million) for his services with a curling shot past Guglielmo Vicario sparking wild celebrations.
City have won the title six times in the last eight seasons but their hopes of reclaiming it after being dethroned by Liverpool last season are beginning to look forlorn.
They produced a lacklustre attacking display against Brighton but Haaland’s penalty, after a foul by Diego Gomez on Jeremy Doku, looked like earning them a victory that would have put some pressure on leaders Arsenal.
But Brighton struck back as Mitoma guided in an equalizer from the edge of the penalty area.
Haaland should have won it for City late on, but fired a shot straight at Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.
To make matters worse for City, Guardiola said Savinho will be out for two months with an injury, adding to an absentee list that also includes defenders Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones.
