Hope for Boakye and Owusu

... Teams can include injured players
FIFA have revealed that Ghana will have until two days before their World Cup campaign begins to replace injured players, like Isaac Boakye and Lloyd Owusu, should they need to.

It had previously been thought that teams would not be able to bring in a new player, if they named an already injured one on their 23-man squad - which needs to be named by May 15 (not 23rd as earlier reported).

"Coaches will have players who are crucial to their team and who they hope will be fit in time for the tournament and this gives them a chance to recover fully right up to the beginning of their team's World Cup," Fifa's Andreas Herren confirmed.

"That provision is there for any player, provided a medical certificate confirms the injury.

Leading striker Boakye is in danger of missing Ghana?s maiden tournament after re-injuring his right knee. He will sit out Arminia Bielefeld?s final three games of the German season. He underwent successful operation on his injured right knee on Saturday. The Arminia Bielefeld striker had a nuclear spin tomography performed by team doctors, which revealed that Boakye had problem with the meniscus outline. A part of the meniscus was removed and the cartilage was smoothed.

Lloyd Owusu?s World Cup hopes also seem to be over. The Brentford striker picked up an injury as Ghana drew 1-1 with German club VfB Stuttgart. He limped off after tearing a groin muscle and has been ruled out for six to eight weeks.

Coach Djukovic will now have to decide if the two players are critical to his plans. He can then include them in the initial squad and will then have until June 9 - two days before the opening game with Italy - to decide whether to keep both players in Germany.

... Teams can include injured players
FIFA have revealed that Ghana will have until two days before their World Cup campaign begins to replace injured players, like Isaac Boakye and Lloyd Owusu, should they need to.

It had previously been thought that teams would not be able to bring in a new player, if they named an already injured one on their 23-man squad - which needs to be named by May 15 (not 23rd as earlier reported).

"Coaches will have players who are crucial to their team and who they hope will be fit in time for the tournament and this gives them a chance to recover fully right up to the beginning of their team's World Cup," Fifa's Andreas Herren confirmed.

"That provision is there for any player, provided a medical certificate confirms the injury.

Leading striker Boakye is in danger of missing Ghana?s maiden tournament after re-injuring his right knee. He will sit out Arminia Bielefeld?s final three games of the German season. He underwent successful operation on his injured right knee on Saturday. The Arminia Bielefeld striker had a nuclear spin tomography performed by team doctors, which revealed that Boakye had problem with the meniscus outline. A part of the meniscus was removed and the cartilage was smoothed.

Lloyd Owusu?s World Cup hopes also seem to be over. The Brentford striker picked up an injury as Ghana drew 1-1 with German club VfB Stuttgart. He limped off after tearing a groin muscle and has been ruled out for six to eight weeks.

Coach Djukovic will now have to decide if the two players are critical to his plans. He can then include them in the initial squad and will then have until June 9 - two days before the opening game with Italy - to decide whether to keep both players in Germany.