Ghana to omit injured players from final World Cup squad

The Ghana Football Association has revealed only fully fit players will be named in the final 23-man squad for next month’s World Cup finals in South Africa.

Some key players including midfielder Michael Essien and John Mensah are injury doubts and are racing against time to the fitness battle for the tournament.

The Ghana FA came under intense criticisms after defender Shilla Illiasu was picked for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations but never recovered to play in the competition.

With the tournament fast approaching, Nyantakyi says only players who are fit for the full rigors of the tough competition will be named in the final 23 from the provisional 30.

“Let me state that the FA is not going to send injured players to the World Cup and this is one of the lessons we drew from our participation in the last Nations that was held in Ghana and so in Angola we made sure we didn’t send injured players,” Ghana FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi told Joy FM.

“So any player whose recovery is uncertain or whose recovery will be beyond the World Cup will not be selected but if there’s an indication a player will recover around the World Cup, there will be nothing wrong in selecting such a player.

“I spoke to Michael Essien personally yesterday and we are all hopeful by the end of the month we will get the true status of his health.”

Thirty players named in the provisional World Cup will begin camping in Paris, France on 24 May before friendly games against Holland and Latvia.