Boateng expects injury lift

Honoured by earning a place in the provisional Ghana squad, Derek Boateng says a successful World Cup campaign in South Africa depends largely on an injury-free team.

The Getafe midfielder who has enjoyed a great debut in the La Liga hopes to make the cut into Milovan Rajevac final 23-man squad which could hand him his second consecutive appearance at the finals.

"It is a great honour for every footballer to play at the World Cup and I am no exception. I have been in and out of the Black Stars, but my sterling performance for Getafe during the just ended season has earned me a place back into the team.

"I believe my call up is not out of place. I have gathered enough experience at the previous World Cup in Germany four years ago and am very glad to be in the squad for another World Cup. Not many footballers get this golden opportunity and I feel blessed to be amongst the few," the Getafe player told CAF's website.

Ahead of the start of Ghana's preparations in France, Boateng is hoping for a clean bill of health as the Black Stars wait on the fitness of the inspirational Michael Essien and John Mensah.

Both players are recovering from injuries suffered during the season but Boateng says their inclusion in the final team will impact greatly for a successful run.

"Key players like John Mensah and Michael Essien are battling injuries but I’m convinced they would recover ahead of time.

"Their experience is critical and we need them to realize our ambitions. The infusion of some young players is a positive sign for the team. They have demonstrated that they can be relied up and that’s one of the strong points of the team," he said.

"If we have all our players fit, then we can talk about the ultimate. Players like Stephen Appiah, John Mensah and Michael Essien are crucial to the plans of the team, and their fitness will spur the team on. For now, our immediate target is to advance past the group stage and the rest will follow."

Ghana will open their campaign in a rather difficult group which includes Serbia, Australia and Germany.

Boateng rates the Germans but admits that it's a tough group.

"All the teams are strong teams and we can’t afford to under estimate any team. We are in a tough group though that of Germany 2006 (Italy, Czech Republic and USA) appears tougher. The Germans are the favourites in the group, but you cannot rule out Serbia and Australia. We have played against Australia during the last few years but it’s the Serb we have little information about. Most of their players are regulars for their respective clubs in Europe and must be watched carefully." :