Antoine Semenyo will not be joining the Ghana national team during the international break due to an ankle injury. The recovery timeline for the Manchester City forward is currently unclear, leaving his participation in the upcoming match against Liverpool questionable.
Semenyo played a full 90 minutes in Manchester City's recent 5-3 victory over Sunderland, during which he scored twice and provided an assist. However, post-match saw the 26-year-old suffer from an alarming ankle swell.
Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku revealed that Semenyo had spoken to national team manager Carlos Queiroz and was prepared to fly out for further assessment. But it seems the swelling has influenced a different course of action.
Okraku conveyed Semenyo's sentiments:
If I’m needed, I’ll come for the medical team to assess me again. But the truth is, my ankle is swollen and it needs treatment.
The team ultimately decided against making Semenyo undertake unnecessary travel, allowing him to focus on his recovery in England.
Okraku elaborated on the decision:
We had to determine whether to allow Antoine to continue his recovery in order to be ready for Manchester City’s matches and the next Ghana gathering, or to force him to fly to Ghana for an MRI, only to come back because he wouldn’t have been able to play anyway with his ankle swollen.
Semenyo will miss the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Ivory Coast and Gambia, as well as a friendly against Morocco.
This season, the forward has featured in all of Manchester City’s games, registering two goals and three assists. The next fixture for Enzo Maresca's side is on October 11 at Anfield against Liverpool, but as it stands, there is no clarity on whether Semenyo will be fit in time.
