Cameroon forward Diederrick Joel Tagueu has been ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, just a day to commencement of the Indomitable Lions' campaign.
The 25-year-old frontman, on the books of Portuguese club Maritimo, is set to miss the biennial showpiece after being diagnosed with a heart condition.
It is a huge blow to his hopes of playing at the Afcon finals for the first time, after netting eight times in 30 league appearances of which 24 starts were starts for his club last season.
Clarence Seedorf's squad has consequently been reduced to 22 players amid reports that the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) have written to continental football's governing body Caf to call up a replacement.
The Lions are billed to face Guinea-Bissau in their opening game at the Ismailia Stadium on Tuesday, four days before taking on four-time champions Ghana.
They then square off against Benin in their final match of the group series on July 2.
Five-time champions Cameroon are hoping to defend the title they won in Gabon in 2017.
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