GFA official offers updates on friendly injuries in Mali and Qatar

Sports News for Sunday, October 4, 2020

Source: goal.com

2020-10-04

The communications director reacts to reports from the two players and rookie Alexander Djiku excusing themselves from the October matches.

Ghana Football Association (GFA) communications director Henry Asante Twum revealed that the team has not received a withdrawal request from any of the players called up for the Black Stars October friendlies against Mali and Qatar.

CK Akonnor’s team will meet their African counterparts on October 9, three days before facing 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar in a second friendly in the Turkish city of Antalya.

The Black Stars manager has invited 23 players for the double header, but there have been reports that Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Mohammed Kudus, Crystal Palace ace Jeffrey Schlupp and France-born Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku will not be able to respond to the Call due to injury mishaps.

“When a player is injured, the doctors must confirm it. We have a very experienced doctor who is in charge of the Black Stars. So since last week when the list was released to the public, he has been in contact with the clubs, “Asante Twum told Silver FM.

“What I know is that when one of these players is not fit to play, the clubs will officially notify the FA.

“As it is, I only hear it on the radio, I may have read something in the newspapers and online, but at the end of the day we can only talk about facts.

“So if clubs write to the GFA that a player is injured and is ruled out for a month or two, then we can stop at that to make a decision. So let’s wait a few days. We have one more week for the game. If we get official information from the clubs, we will make it public. “

Schlupp, who has been called up to the Black Stars for the first time since March 2019, has missed his club’s last two games, including Saturday’s league loss to Chelsea, due to injury situations.

Kudus has been confirmed out of Ajax’s Eredivisie clash with Groningen, having been injured in training during the week, while there have been reports that Djiku was injured during his club’s final league match against AS Monaco. , which casts doubt on its availability.