Djiku out as depleted Black Stars chase first points against Gambia

Ghana will have to get their AFCON qualifying campaign back on track without Alexander Djiku, after the centre-back was ruled out of Tuesday's meeting with The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Djiku limped off during Thursday's 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in Bouaké and had been pushing to recover in time for the home game. Speaking to 3Sports, the Spartak Moscow defender revealed he had been carrying the problem for around three weeks before the trip but wanted to be there for his country. Medical checks have now confirmed he will not be ready, MyJoyOnline reports.

A growing list of absentees

It is another setback for a player who only recently returned to the Black Stars after injury kept him out of the World Cup. It is also another headache for Carlos Queiroz, who is already without Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei and Baba Rahman, according to Adomonline.

Pulse Ghana suggests Jonas Adjetey, who featured at the World Cup, is among the options to fill the gap in central defence.

No margin for error

The squad returned to training on Saturday, with the players who started in Bouaké focusing on recovery while the rest completed a full session. A final workout is planned for Monday.

The stakes are already high. Ghana sit bottom of Group C after the opening round, while The Gambia arrive in Accra on the back of a 2-1 win over Somalia. With the Black Stars having missed the last Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a home defeat would leave their hopes of reaching the 2027 finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania under real strain.

Kick-off on Tuesday is at 16:00 GMT.

Photo: Jeanpierrekepseu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0