Sakho ban extended

Mamadou Sakho has had his 30-day suspension for failing a drugs test extended worldwide by FIFA, casting further doubt on his chances of playing for France at Euro 2016.

The defender was recently provisionally banned after he tested positive for a banned substance, believed to be a fat burner, following Liverpool’s Europa League win over Manchester United in March.

Sakho chose not to challenge the results and is now awaiting judgement from UEFA’s control, ethics and disciplinary board.

Prior to the suspension, the 26-year-old had been in excellent form for the Reds and looked as if he might well be set to push Raphael Varane and Laurent Koscielny for a starting place in Didier Deschamps’ side at this summer’s tournament on home soil.

‘Les Bleus’ are the current 4.00 favourites to win the Euros, with world champions Germany second in the betting at 4.50 and current holders Spain 6.50.

Although a date for a disciplinary hearing is yet to be made, there has been somewhat of a precedent already set following his Liverpool team-mate Kolo Toure being banned for six months for a similar offence when he was at Manchester City in 2011.

Any suspension would be backdated from April 28 when Sakho was originally suspended although a comparable punishment to that handed to Toure would still see him miss Euro 2016.

Having originally been banned by UEFA, the world governing body FIFA have now stepped in to make the sanction worldwide, meaning he will also be unavailable for all international fixtures.

The news appears to cast further doubt on his chances of representing his country on home soil in the summer, with Manchester City’s Eliaquim Mangala one of the players being tipped to take his place in France’s final 23-man squad.