Keita Balde, a Senegal forward, has been suspended until December 5 over an anti-doping violation in Italy.
Balde's new club Spartak Moscow disclosed this in a statement, this suspension will severely compromise his chances of playing at the World Cup.
The Senegal forward signed a three-year deal with Russian Premier League side Spartak last month after spending the last season with Cagliari in Serie A.
The statement read; ‘’Balde has been suspended by the Italian National anti-doping agency until December 5 for a procedural violation during an anti-doping inspection while he was playing for Cagliari.’’
The Russian club did not specify the nature of the infraction but noted that no prohibited substance had been detected in the sample tested.
According to Spartak, Balde will not be able to resume training until three weeks before the end of his suspension, in line with FIFA regulations.
Balde, the Spanish-born, had won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal in February, but the suspension will make him to be exempted from the squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which begins November 20th and ends December 18th.
Balde’s suspension will rule him out until the quarter-finals.