Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller has been ruled out of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.
The 31-year-old picked up the problem while playing for FC Utrecht last weekend and, despite joining the national team camp in Spain for treatment, was not fit in time for the tournament.
The Ivorian Football Federation confirmed his withdrawal on Friday.
Aston Villa forward Evann Guessand has been called up as his replacement in the final 26-man squad.
Haller was a key figure in Ivory Coast’s last AFCON triumph, scoring the decisive goals in both the semi-final and final after returning from injury.
The holders begin their title defence against Mozambique next Wednesday.
