Ghana's injury nightmare: Otto Addo eyes fitness boost for Salisu, others
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has moved swiftly to steady Ghana’s World Cup ship, paying personal visits to injured key players across Europe as anxiety grows over their race against time to be fit for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The coach’s latest stop took him to France, where he visited centre-back Mohammed Salisu to lift the defender’s spirits following successful surgery on a serious knee injury.
The AS Monaco stalwart underwent an operation after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during a Ligue 1 clash with Olympique Lyonnais.
Salisu was forced off late in that weekend encounter, with Monaco later confirming the severity of the injury after medical examinations. The diagnosis — a torn ACL — rules the Ghana international out for an extended period and casts a long shadow over his availability for the upcoming World Cup tournament.
The player, who featured for the Black Stars at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has been a cornerstone of Ghana’s qualification campaign, featuring in eight 2026 World Cup qualifiers and scoring twice.
His potential absence would represent a significant setback for Otto Addo, who is preparing to lead the Black Stars into their fifth appearance at the global showpiece, to be staged across Mexico, Canada and the United States.
While there is growing concern over Salisu’s recovery timeline, Otto Addo remains hopeful. His visit underlined not only the technical importance of the defender but also the human element of his leadership — a coach keen to build unity, morale and trust within his squad during a critical phase.
That same philosophy has seen Addo make similar visits in recent months to Spain-based Kwasi Sibo, Ernest Nuamah and Mohammed Kudus, reinforcing a culture of solidarity as Ghana navigate injuries to several frontline players.
While in France, Addo also visited Ernest Nuamah in Lyon as part of ongoing player monitoring ahead of the tournament. The Olympique Lyonnais winger has resumed gym work but is yet to return to full pitch training after suffering a rupture of the ACL in his left knee last April.
Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca recently admitted that Nuamah’s recovery has been more complicated than expected and declined to put a timeframe on his return.
“I don’t know when it will be,” Fonseca said. “The main thing is to get Ernest back.”
Despite the uncertainty, Nuamah has offered glimpses of progress, posting videos on social media that show him undergoing intensive individual gym sessions.
There has been more positive news regarding midfielder Francis Abu, who is making steady progress in his recovery.
The Toulouse FC player returned to the gym last month as part of the next phase of his rehabilitation after suffering fractures to two bones during an international friendly against Japan in Nagoya, where he underwent successful surgery.
His current phase marks a significant step in his recovery, with the Ghana Football Association, the Black Stars’ medical team and the technical bench all confident Abu will regain full fitness in due course.
However, injury concerns continue to mount with Ghana and Tottenham Hotspur star Mohammed Kudus also sidelined until after the March international break following a thigh injury sustained in last week’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland. Kudus lasted just 19 minutes before limping off in a match watched by the Ghana coach.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank confirmed the extent of the problem. “Mohammed Kudus, unfortunately, has a bigger injury to the tendon in the quad,” Frank said. “That is one where we expect him back after the March international break.”
The 25-year-old midfielder is expected to be available when English Premier League action resumes on April 11, but will miss Ghana’s international friendly against Germany in Stuttgart in March, another setback for Otto Addo as he fine-tunes his squad.
Kudus remains Ghana’s talisman and a central figure in their World Cup ambitions. His fitness, alongside the recovery of Salisu, Nuamah and Abu, will largely shape how far the Black Stars can dream.
Ghana have been drawn in a challenging World Cup group alongside Panama, England and Croatia. Their campaign opens against Panama in Toronto, before further tests against England in Boston and Croatia in Philadelphia.
