Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan admits he has sympathy for his Senegalese pair Habib Beye and Abdoulaye Faye.
The duo will be back in contention for the Aston Villa game next week after Senegal's early African Nations Cup demise.
Keegan said: "I feel a bit sorry for them because Senegal probably had the players to even win the tournament.
"But the other part of it is that they are going to come back and be involved against Aston Villa, and with the size of our squad, that's a big plus.
"Half of you wants them to do well, but the other half wants them to come back."