Injuries before major tournaments are not new to Ghana.

Stephen Appiah (AFCON 2008), Michael Essien (AFCON 2012 & 2013), Sule Muntari (AFCON 2013), Jerry Akaminko (World Cup 2014), etc., all missed major tournaments after sustaining serious injuries.

What is uncommon are the multiple injuries to players who are regulars or, in this case, starters.

Kudus Mohammed is expected to miss the World Cup, while Salisu Mohammed has been ruled out of the tournament altogether.

Mohammed Kudus's absence stings because he has become somewhat of a totemic figure to Ghanaian fans.

At his first major tournament (AFCON 2023), Kudus missed the first game but scored a brace against record holders Egypt in a 2-2 draw at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Côte d’Ivoire.

Before that, he assisted a goal on his World Cup debut against Portugal, and struck a brace of goals in only his second World Cup match as Ghana beat South Korea 3-2 at the Education City Stadium, Qatar.

With Kudus, it's not just the goals that Ghana will miss. He is a maverick, a disruptor of tactics.

You cannot legislate for his explosiveness, close control, ridiculous mix of technique and shooting power, and his goalscoring instincts.

Salisu Mohammed's absence also complicates things.

The A.S. Monaco centre half has partnered with Alex Djiku in Ghana's defence in the last four years.

They first played together at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, starting and completing all three games.

Two years later, the pair started all three games at AFCON 2023 in Cote d’Ivoire.

In the World Cup Qualifiers, the pair were integral, particularly in 2025 when Ghana kept five clean sheets in six matches.

Salisu's absence means Djiku could be the only player from the World Cup Qualifiers to retain his place among the defenders.

Alidu Seidu's inconsistent displays forced Ghana to court and eventually invite Marvin Senaya. Before that, Caleb Yirenkyi had filled in the slot without much success.

At left (wing) back, Ghana has tried five players - Derrick Kohn, Gideon Mensah, Isaac Afful, Ebenezer Annan, and Fatawu Hamidu, since 2023.

Yet, none of them, not even Gideon Mensah, has convinced despite playing 90% of the time.

Carlos Queiroz is famed for knitting together compact defences. But even he would be concerned by the worrying context of Ghana’s options at the back.

Fading generals

Jordan Ayew and Thomas Partey, the main protagonists from Ghana's near-excellent 2025, are also badly out of form.

Partey has played 26 games in total, 19 in La Liga and 5 in the Champions League.

He has started 12 games in total - 7 in the league and 5 in the Champions League.

His lack of regular game time and match rhythm was exposed against Germany and Austria, as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game.

With five major tournaments - four AFCONS and a World Cup, under his belt, Thomas Partey is Ghana's most experienced midfielder and the brains of the operation.

Further up the pitch, Jordan Ayew’s lack of gametime is a source of worry.

The Leicester City striker had an all-timer World Cup Qualifying campaign: seven goals and seven assists in ten games.

The last of them was the assist against Mali on September 8, 2025.

Since then, Ayew has played forty Championship matches and has only scored six times.

The last of those goals was on April 6 against Sheffield Wednesday, ending a run of 13 matches without a goal.

The alternative to Ayew is Prince Adu Kwabena, a promising forward who has yet to start for Ghana in a competitive game.

Or Brandon Thomas-Asante, who has 12 goals in 29 appearances.

While there are still Inaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo, the pair have a combined 7 goals in 59 – 34 matches, (4 goals for Semenyo, 24 matches, 3 goals for Inaki Williams) for Ghana.

It will therefore be foolhardy to expect a sudden turn in performance levels from the pair.

These contexts may present a window for new stars to emerge. Or not.

What is clear is that Carlos Queiroz will have to coach out of his mind to get a tune out of the Black Stars at this World Cup.