Injured Gervinho out of Ivory Coast squad

Bouaké (Ivory Coast) (AFP) – Former Arsenal striker Gervinho is out injured from the Ivory Coast’s November 12 World Cup qualifier against Morocco and a friendly with France three days later, joining Eric Bailly on the sidelines.

Manchester United defender Bailly was already out of action with knee trouble suffered in last month’s 4-0 thrashing at Chelsea.

Gervinho, 29, who joined China’s Hebei Fortune from Roma in January, is set to miss out on January’s Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament.

Better new for the Elephants is that Hertha Berlin striker Salomon Kalou, who missed last month’s qualifier with Mali, is back and in the squad unveiled by Michel Dussuyer.

Three new faces are goalkeeper Axel Kacou of French side Tours, striker Nicolas Pepe, also based in France with Angers, and midfielder Jules Eboue of Russian side Krasnodar.

Ivory Coast squad:

Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohouo (TP Mazembe/DRC), Mande Sayouba (Stabaek/NOR), Axel Kacou (FC Tours/FRA), Ali Badra Sangare (AS Tanda/CIV)

Defenders: Serge Aurier (Paris SG/FRA), Simon Deli (Slavia Prague/CZE), Ousmane Diarrassouba (Adanaspor/TUR), Wilfried Kanon (The Hague/NED), Lamine Kone (Sunderland AFC/ENG), Adama Traore (FC Basel/SUI), Bagayoko Mamadou (KV Sint Truiden/BEL)

Midfielders: Geoffrey Serey Die (FC Basel/SUI), Victorien Angban(Grenada/ESP), Cheick Doukoure (FC Metz/FRA), Franck Kessie (Atlanta Bergame/ITA), Serge N’Guessan (AS Nancy Lorraine/FRA), Jean Michael Seri (Nice/FRA), Jules Eboue (Krasnodar/RUS)

Strikers: Wilfried Bony (Stoke City/ENG), Max Gradel (Bournemouth/ENG), Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa/ENG), Giovanni Sio (Rennes/FRA), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin/GER), Nicolas Pepe (Angers/FRA)