Senegal forward Keita Balde has been suspended until December 5 over an anti-doping violation in Italy, his new club Spartak Moscow announced, severely compromising his chances of playing at the World Cup.
Balde, 27, signed a three-year deal with Russian Premier League side Spartak last month after spending the past season with Cagliari in Serie A.
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,” Spartak said in a statement.
The Russian club did not specify the nature of the infraction, but said that no prohibited substance had been detected in the sample tested.