Wilfried Bony has pulled out of the Ivory Coast squad for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone next week because of a leg injury, the Ivorian Football Federation confirmed on Saturday.
Bony suffered a cut on his leg in training on Thursday and did not play for his Premier League club Manchester City in Saturday’s win over Watford.
According to BBC, City manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday that the striker would be out of action for between seven and 10 days.
Ivory Coast’s Group I qualifier against Sierra Leone is on 6 September in Lagos.
Bony’s City team mate Yaya Toure was left out when the Ivorian squad was named on Thursday, with coach Michel Dussuyer saying the 32-year-old midfielder wanted time to consider his future in international football.
The Ivorian captain appeared to suffer from the physical exertions of competing for his country last season, notably when Ivory Coast won the 2015 Nations Cup tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
He returned to Manchester with a marked dip in form, but this season has looked refreshed, helping City maintain a perfect start to the new Premier League campaign with four wins out of four.
Posted by Janice Johnson
