Essien granted leave to attend Dad’s burial

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien who has been a bit part player for Chelsea this season will continue to miss this weekend’s home fixture to West Bromwich Albion – not for footballing reasons but on a compassionate leave to allow him to attend the funeral of his late father who will be buried this weekend, Footy-ghana.com can confirm.

The combative midfielder has been permitted to storm Ghana on Thursday ahead of the burial of his late father James Kofi Badu Essien who passed away at the Asikuma Hospital on September 1.

Essien is expected to join the rest of the family in bidding the final farewell to his Dad over the weekend before leaving to join the Black Stars camp in Istanbul ahead of Ghana’s second leg tie of the 2014 World Cup play-offs against Egypt set for November 19.