World Cup Qualifiers: Wakaso To Assume Partey Role After Arsenal Star’s Injury
Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac is contemplating deploying fit-again Mubarak Wakaso in the absence of superstar Thomas Partey in the offensive midfield position for this week’s decisive 2022 World Cup qualifiers aganist Ethiopia and South Africa.
Arsenal playmaker Partey is highly likely to miss the final two must-win matches in the qualifiers after his English side Arsenal revealed the player’s latest groin injury on Sunday.
The injury ruled Partey out of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Watford, making it highly unlikely for the midfilder to travel to Ghana on Monday to join his Black Stars team-mates.
This has left Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac scratching his head for the two important matches which would decide whether the Black Stars would qualify for the final phase of the World Cup qualifiers or not.
Head coach Milovan Rajevac needs his best players for the games and Partey is certainly one. His potential absence could affect the team’s chances of progressing to the play-offs and staying on course to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
Partey missed the first two games of the qualifiers due to injury and the Black Stars picked up just three points. He returned for the double-header against Zimbabwe and scored two great goals to help the team secure six points.
Even in the absence of Partey, returning Wakaso is being planned as the replacement for the Arsenal player as the latter wasincluded in the 28-man squad for the games against Ethiopia and South Africa following his return to fitness.
An injury problem ruled the China-based midfielder out of the double-header against Zimbabwe last month.
He has fully recovered and is expected to play a part in the must-win games against Ethiopia and South Africa this month.
Wakaso since his Black Stars debut call-up in 2012 has been a regular, commanding 65 appearances and scoring 12 goals.
Ghana will take on Ethiopia on Thursday, November 11 before facing South Africa on Sunday, November 14, 2021, at the Cape Coast stadium.
The Black Stars are second in Group G with 9 points – one point behind leaders South Africa and must win both matches to qualify for the play-offs.