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Trusted left-back Gideon Mensah will miss Ghana’s game against Madagascar in Antananarivo due to a knee injury, as confirmed by the Black Stars medical team.
Mensah’s absence comes as a disappointment, considering his reliability in the team’s defensive line.
Mensah was unable to join the team for their first training session on Monday, and upon further evaluation, it was determined that his injury was more severe than initially anticipated. As a result, he has been withdrawn from the squad that will face Madagascar in the crucial 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier this weekend.
“Gideon picked up a knee injury during the season, but his club managed him conservatively until the end of the season. Upon assessment in camp on Monday, we decided to excuse him from this game in order not to aggravate the injury,” explained Dr Prince Pambo, the team’s medical head, in a statement to ghanafa.org.
📸 𝐆𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐡 👋🏾🇬🇭#BlackStars | @gideonmensah_14 pic.twitter.com/764urbBGHP
— 🇬🇭 Black Stars (@GhanaBlackstars) June 12, 2023
He also expressed optimism that Mensah would have sufficient rest during the break to recover in time for the next season.
The news poses a challenge for coach Chris Hughton, who is already missing experienced left-back Baba Rahman due to an injury. The only left-back option in the current squad is Patrick Kpozo from Moldova. Kpozo received his first call-up to the Black Stars last year but has yet to play for the national team.
With limited left-back options, Hughton faces the decision of whether to call up another player for the position or employ a makeshift left-back strategy. Regardless, the Black Stars are well aware of the importance of this match, as a win would secure their qualification for the 2023 tournament, which will be hosted by Ivory Coast early next year. With eight points from four games, they are focused on delivering a strong performance at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium on Sunday.
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