Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse has made it known to the Senegalese Football Association that he will not be able to honour his call up to the national team for upcoming friendly international matches this month.

The attacker’s fitness level is in question, and he believes that he is not able to give his best to the Teranga Lions due to this. He is currently serving a seven match ban for a spitting incident in the English Premier League involving Jonny Evans of Manchester United in a recent match.

Senegal is set to face the Black Stars of Ghana at the end of March, but new national team coach Aliou Cisse will have to do so without the services of the Newcastle player.

According to a local newspaper in Senegal, their source, who is a close friend of the player said, “Papiss is beginning to get fit but he will not be present in the upcoming friendlies.”

“The club [Newcastle] needed him and he had quickly taken the matches but he only played 70 per cent of his abilities. Now he will enjoy his suspension to upgrade and return to top form for next season,” the source said to Waa Sports.

Cisse travelled to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the West Africans, but his fitness level kept him from making his usual contribution to the side, and the Teranga Lions failed to progress from the group stage which included Algeria, South Africa and eventual runners up Ghana.