Sierra Leone may be without skipper Umaru Bangura for their 2019 AFCON Group F qualifier against Ethiopia on 9th September due to his latest muscle strain.

Bangura, 30, confirmed the news that he is a doubt after speaking to the FC Zurich medical team.

“I am not sure I will be going to Ethiopia,” he said. “I played my first 90 minutes in last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with FC Basel and a day after, I started feeling pains in my right leg muscles,” he told Football Sierra Leone UK.

“During yesterday’s training, my right leg muscles still feeling uncomfortable, and because of the discomfort, I am out of our League game against FC Lugano today.”

“Presently under observation by the club’s medical team.” Bangura added, “I have also informed coach Keister about it.”

The former Dinamo Minsk recently recovered from an internal ligament rupture in the right knee.

He joined FC Zurich from Dinamo Minsk at the beginning of August 2016. So far, the 30-year-old Bangura has played 55 official matches, in which he has scored one goal.

FC Zurich have been drawn alongside Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Ludogorets (BUL), Zürich (SUI), and AEK Larnaca (CYP) in Group A of this year’s Europa League competition.

Football Sierra Leone understands that the club medical team are wary about further damage to their defender if he risks playing for Sierra Leone 10 days before they kick off their Europa League campaign.

Meanwhile, Bangura is not the only player doubtful ahead of Sierra Leone away AFCON match with Ethiopia on 9th September in Hawassa.

Coventry City striker Amadou Bakayoko, PSIS attacking midfielder, Ibrahim Conteh have both withdrawn from the 23-man squad named by the Sierra Leone coach.

Coach Keister still have a few days to name the trio replacement before next weekend cracker.

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