Hammers chief Sullivan hits back in Sakho row
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is confident FIFA will clear West Ham United of any wrongdoing over Diafra Sakho's absence from the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Senegal striker missed the tournament in Equatorial Guinea due to a back injury, but came off the bench to score the winner in West Ham's FA Cup victory at Bristol City on Sunday.
Senegal coach Alain Giresse said West Ham set "a dangerous precedent" by selecting Sakho and a FIFA spokesman confirmed to Perform that the Senegal Football Federation have contacted world football's governing body over the issue.
Sakho could face a ban, but Sullivan does not expect FIFA to take any action.
He told the Daily Mail: "A top back surgeon said Sakho can't fly and he still can't fly, he went by car to Bristol and is going by train to Liverpool. How can we go against medical advice?
"We are sure any FIFA hearing will vindicate us. The player missed four games as a result of injuries incurred whilst playing for Senegal. We have done nothing untoward."
Senegal crashed out of the AFCON on Tuesday with a 2-0 defeat against Algeria.
Watch every match of the Africa Cup of Nations LIVE on British Eurosport HD or sign up to Eurosport Player and follow the action on mobile, tablet and other devices: www.eurosportplayer.com
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
‘Managing Leeds? It was an option that appeared, but it wasn’t the right timing. I decided it wasn’t a good idea to leave the club I was at mid-season’: Premier League boss admits to turning down opportunity to replace Jesse Marsch in 2023
‘Ruben Amorim could have waited for Real Madrid and had a better chance to be successful – to have joined Manchester United, he must be convinced in his own ability’ Former Old Trafford coach’s verdict on new boss