Report: Sebastien Haller hopeful of recovering from injury in time for Africa Cup of Nations

Sebastien Haller is said to be hopeful of recovering from his ankle injury in time for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

A frustrating first half of the season ended in disappointing fashion for Sebastien Haller as he picked up what looked like an ankle injury during Borussia Dortmund's clash against Mainz 05 earlier this month. The striker was spotted at a Unicef event recently with his foot in a brace, leading to fears that he could be forced to miss the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

But BILD are claiming that while Haller is facing a race against time to be fit for Ivory Coast's AFCON campaign, the national team's doctors and coaching staff are optimistic that he will be able to take part in the tournament. The 29 year old was included in Ivory Coast's provisional squad for the tournament, with the final squad set to be named in time for the January 3 deadline.

Ivory Coast will be hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, and are in Group A. They will open their campaign on January 13 against Guinea-Bissau, before taking on Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

Sebastien Haller has endured a difficult season so far with Borussia Dortmund, and has struggled for playing time in recent months, having lost his spot in the starting XI to Niclas Füllkrug. The striker has found the back of the net just twice, and will hope to get some confidence under his belt with strong performances for Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.