BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
Ghana’s preparations for their crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying doubleheader against Somalia have suffered a significant setback, with Black Stars forward Antoine Semenyo expected to miss both matches after sustaining a knee injury while playing for Manchester City.
The 26-year-old winger suffered a left knee collateral ligament injury during Manchester City’s English Premier League encounter against Ipswich Town on Saturday, leaving technical team facing the prospect of being without one of their key attacking players for the November international window.
Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed that Semenyo could be sidelined for approximately eight weeks, meaning the forward is unlikely to feature in Ghana’s two matches against Somalia on November 11 and November 15.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture against AEK Athens, Maresca explained that initial concerns about the severity of the injury had eased following further medical examinations.
“The only one that will be out for probably eight weeks is Antoine [Semenyo],” the coach said.He added that medical scans had provided a more encouraging assessment than initially expected.
“In the first moment we expected a worse injury. After yesterday’s scan we feel much better because it’s not so big like we expected. It will be eight weeks,” Maresca stated.
The Manchester City manager stressed that Semenyo’s recovery would be the immediate priority, expressing hope that the Ghanaian international would return in December.
“Now the most important thing is recovery. When he is back in December it will be like a new player. Collateral. It’s not muscle,” he added.
Semenyo’s injury also comes at an inconvenient time for Manchester City, where he has made an encouraging contribution this season.
The winger has been involved in five goals in six starts for the club, underlining his attacking influence before the injury interrupted his campaign.
His ability to threaten opposition defences and contribute to goals has made him an important option for Manchester City, while his performances have also strengthened his value to Ghana’s national team.
An absence of approximately eight weeks would leave both club and country monitoring his recovery closely as they assess when he can return to competitive action.However, Maresca’s comments suggest that the medical assessment was more positive than the initial fears, offering some encouragement that the injury may not be as serious as first anticipated.
