The arrival of Patrick Vieira as the new coach of Senegal comes at a particularly difficult time for the national team – so much so that there is the possibility the former France captain may not even take charge of the Teranga Lions.

The 50-year-old’s appointment has been announced despite him not having signed a contract, and the date of his official presentation remains unknown.

Senegal’s football federation (FSF), which is currently riven by off-field issues, said discussions regarding the “administrative and contractual arrangements” for Vieira are continuing between the two parties.

The ex-Arsenal and Inter Milan midfielder was unanimously approved as the man to succeed Pape Thiaw at an FSF meeting on Monday, with former Netherlands international Patrick Kluivert among the other names considered.

However, uncertainty surrounding the termination of Thiaw’s deal remains.

Vieira’s predecessor was sacked following the dramatic last-32 exit to Belgium at the Fifa World Cup without Senegal’s government, which funds the national team, formally endorsing the decision.

He is demanding the payment of several months’ worth of outstanding wages as well as various bonuses, with the total reportedly amounting to almost $815,000 (£600,000).

Meanwhile, a ruling on the election of the current FSF leadership – which has been contested for the past year – is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) by Friday.

With the FSF leadership increasingly isolated, without the backing of the government or the general public’s support, and constrained by the impending Cas ruling, it nevertheless had little choice but to act quickly to fill the Teranga Lions hotseat.

The calendar will not wait, with Senegal back in action in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on 23 September when they travel to Mozambique in their Group J opener. A meeting with Ethiopia follows days later.

The Cas ruling in Lausanne could call into question the legitimacy of the FSF hierarchy and potentially even the choice of Vieira as head coach.

Moreover, for all his achievements as one of the greatest footballers of the modern era Vieira’s record in management has been less impressive.

U.S. international forward Haji Wright will miss up to 12 weeks at the start of the Premier League season due to a quad injury, according to Coventry City coach Frank Lampard.

“He won’t be available for a little while, he’s got a very serious quad injury which is disappointing for Haji and for us,” Lampard said, via Coventry’s website. “It’s certainly going to be a number of weeks, could even be up to 12 weeks.”

Wright, 28, was a member of the U.S. World Cup squads in 2022 and 2026. He appeared in all four matches in Qatar and scored against the Netherlands in a knockout loss, but played just two minutes across two games at the 2026 World Cup under Mauricio Pochettino.

Wright came off the bench in the final moments of a 2-0 win over Australia and in the U.S.’s 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.

Wright was fantastic in the Championship last season for Coventry, scoring 17 goals with one assist in just over 2,500 minutes. It was his sixth consecutive season scoring double-digit goals in a season across three leagues — the Danish Superliga, Turkish Super Lig and English Championship.

This year marks Wright’s first opportunity to get Premier League minutes, but the setback will delay that start until potentially the fall, depending on the severity of the injury. Coventry has already added to its forward line this summer with the signings of Taiwo Awoniyi and Sidiki Chérif.

How this impacts the USMNT

Wright can play both as a striker and as a winger, a flexibility that has made him valuable in the U.S. set-up.

But the 6ft 2in (188cm) striker’s limited minutes at the World Cup are indicative of a player who was seeing his role decrease in this national team pool. Patrick Agyemang’s injury opened the door to a World Cup return for Wright, but he faces competition to stay a part of Pochettino’s team in the 2030 cycle.

Agyemang is expected to return to the field in the winter, while Red Bull New York teenager Julian Hall Zakrzewski no doubt is looking to break into the picture with Pochettino’s team this fall. Hall Zakrzewski, 18, who is also eligible to play for Poland, has nine goals and five assists for Red Bull this season.

Wright now seems likely to miss four friendlies for the U.S. in the September-October window, including a meeting with rivals Mexico. The U.S. will also play Concacaf Nations League games in November against an opponent to be determined.

Pochettino will have forwards Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi as options for those games, as well as newcomers like Hall Zakrzewski and veterans like Vancouver’s Brian White, who has 10 goals this season.