Michael Essien has been confirmed to miss the remainder of Chelsea’s season after failing to recover from a nagging knee problem. The extent of the Ghanaian international’s injury is baffling even to the club’s medical experts. It was expected that Essien would return for Chelsea’s weekend fixture against stoke.
However, that is not to be and with less than 50 days until the opening game of the World Cup, Ghana’s national team coach Milovan Rajevic is a worried man. Essien’s troubles started back in December last year when he tore his hamstring in a champions League match against APOEL Nicosia.
In January this year, while representing his nation in the Africa Cup of Nations, Essien suffered a knee injury in their last Group B match against the Ivory Coast. This injury has taken a toll on Essien much that even after completing rehab, Essien will not be ble to feature for the Blues.
Of greater concern is whether Essien will be able to recover in time for the World Cup. Apart from captaining his side, Essien is the heart of the Ghanaian team. Seeded in a tough Group D that includes: Germany, Serbia and Australia.
Rajevic will also be hoping that notably absentees during the AFCON tournament earlier in the year will also be available. Panstil, Muntari, Mensah and Appiah did not feature for the Black Stars and it is expected that their inclusion and that of Essien will greatly help the team. All that the fans now hope for is a speedy recover that will get Essien back into the national team.
Photo credit: from asamteam
