This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
January 5, 2022 - Senegal's forward Ismaila Sarr celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group C football match between Kenya and Senegal at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, Egypt on July 1, 2019. (AFP)
Watford midfielder Ismaila Sarr has been released by his club to join up with Senegal's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, ending a standoff between club and country.
Senegal Football Federation said Sarr had departed London on Tuesday to join up with the squad, after initially not being released by the Premier League club.
Watford had accused Sarr of being injured and not fit to compete, but Senegal accused the club of providing 'spurious' reasons for denying Sarr permission to travel.
Watford claimed Sarr suffered a knee ligament injury on November 20 and had not been fit to play for the club since, and invited Senegal to send their own doctor to assess the injury.
However, Senegal said they would seek FIFA's intervention and demanded Sarr's release to join the rest of the squad who are preparing in Dakar.
FIFA rules state that any player called up for international duty must be released, even if injured, so that he might be assessed by his country's own medical team.
