Mohammed Salisu ruled out for months after ACL tear, World Cup hopes in doubt

AS Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu faces a long spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury that has been confirmed as a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The French club announced the extent of the injury after the Ghana international underwent medical tests following Monaco’s Ligue 1 clash with Olympique Lyonnais at the weekend. Salisu was forced off late in the match, sparking fears over his condition, which have now been confirmed by the club.

In a statement released on its official channels, AS Monaco expressed full support for the centre back as he begins his recovery. “The Club will support Mohammed throughout his recovery and is behind him all the way,” the statement read. “Stay strong, Sarki, we’re with you.”

The injury is a major setback for Monaco, where Salisu has been a key figure in the heart of defence, and for Ghana’s Black Stars, with the defender a regular member of the national team. An ACL injury typically sidelines a player for several months, casting serious doubt over his immediate club duties and international prospects.

Reports from French outlet GetFrenchFootball suggest the injury could rule Salisu out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The injury was sustained during Monaco’s 3-1 defeat to Lyon, a match in which he was one of three Monaco players to pick up injuries.

Although he completed the full 90 minutes against Lyon, the damage was done during the course of the game. The setback comes at a difficult time for the 26 year old, who had only recently rediscovered form after a challenging start to the 2025 to 2026 season that was disrupted by injuries and limited game time.

Salisu has made 18 appearances in all competitions for Monaco this season and was widely expected to be a central figure for Ghana at what would have been his second World Cup. He featured for the Black Stars at the 2022 tournament in Qatar and has since established himself as one of the country’s most reliable players based in Europe.

Ghana have been drawn in Group L of the 2026 World Cup alongside England, Croatia and Panama, with two of their group matches scheduled to be played in the United States and their fixture against Panama set for Canada.

Salisu’s injury further adds to Ghana’s growing concerns over serious knee injuries among its top players. Ernest Nuamah of Lyon, Leicester City winger Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and SC Freiburg’s Daniel Kofi Kyereh have all suffered ACL injuries in recent years.

AS Monaco are expected to provide further updates on Salisu’s rehabilitation timeline in the coming weeks as he begins the long road to recovery.