Uefa will hold a disciplinary hearing into Mamadou Sakho’s failed drugs test on Thursday, with the Liverpool defender likely to discover next week whether he must serve a lengthy suspension from the game.
The France international is serving a 30-day worldwide ban for failing a drugs test taken after Liverpool’s Europa League tie at Manchester United on 17 March. Sakho accepted the findings, opting not to have the results of his B sample tested, and reports in France have claimed it was a fat-burning substance that breached anti-doping regulations.
Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary body has been investigating Sakho’s failed test for the past month, and considering his explanation for it, and are scheduled to discuss possible sanctions on Thursday. The 26-year-old, who made 34 appearances for Liverpool this season and was in fine form before the results of the failed test were announced, could be banned for between six months and two years. His provisional 30-day suspension expires on Saturday.
The Liverpool hierarchy and the manager, Jürgen Klopp, decided not to consider the £19m defender for selection after the A sample results were confirmed prior to the Premier League game against Newcastle United on 23 April. Sakho missed eight games in total as a result of Liverpool’s action and the provisional suspension imposed by Uefa, including the Europa League final defeat by Sevilla last week.
Sakho’s acceptance of the A sample results hastened the disciplinary process and will mean any suspension imposed will start earlier than if he had challenged the findings. The breach has cost the former Paris Saint-Germain player his place in the France squad for the European Championship being staged on home soil this summer. A lengthy suspension may also have an impact on Klopp’s transfer plans, with the Liverpool manager looking for defensive recruits in addition to Joel Matip, the Cameroon international centre-half signed on a free transfer after his contract expired at Schalke.
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