Personal reasons force Senegal star Mane out of England and Ireland clashes

Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane will be unavailable for Senegal in next month’s internationals against Ireland and England after asking to be excused for the two friendly matches.

Mane, African Player of the Year in 2019, is the only major absentee from a 26-man squad unveiled by coach Pape Thiaw on Tuesday.

"It's a personal decision that is his private business, and I respect that as a coach," Thiaw told a press conference in Dakar, Senegal, as quoted by the Senegalese FA.

33-year-old Mane, who has won 111 caps for the Lions of Teranga, has been an integral part of their squad over the last decade and took part in their most recent fixtures in March, where they drew with Sudan and beat Togo in World Cup qualifiers.

Mamadou Lamine Camara, who won the African Confederation Cup on Sunday with his Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane, was the only notable new face in the squad.

There are returns after missing the March qualifiers for seven players, including Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye from Everton.

Senegal take on Ireland in Dublin on 6 June and England in Nottingham on 10 June.

Senegal Squad for June Friendly internationals:

Goalkeepers: Mory Diaw (Rodez), Yevhann Diouf (Stade Reims), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli)

Defenders: Abdou Diallo (Al Arabi), El Hadj Malick Diouf (Slavia Prague), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray), Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Antoine Mendy (Nice), Moussa Niakhate (Olympique Lyonnais), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa)

Midfielders: Lamine Camara (Monaco), Mamadou Lamine Camara (Renaissance Berkane), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Habib Diarra (Racing Strasbourg), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Villarreal), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)

Forwards: Boulaye Dia (Lazio), Idrissa Gueye (Metz), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Cherif Ndiaye (Red Star Belgrade), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Abdallah Sima (Stade Brest).