Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams will not be available for Ghana’s upcoming 2023 AFCON qualifier against Madagascar.
The Black Stars will travel to Madagascar on June 18 as they aim to preserve their top spot in Group E of the qualifiers.
Williams was part of the squad announced by Ghana coach Chris Hughton last week for the upcoming game but has now ruled himself out.
In a statement shared on his Twitter page, the 28-year-old said he has been forced to pull out due to a knee injury.
According to him, he has been playing through the injury for Athletic Bilbao but has now been advised by his medical team to “solve the problem to be 100% for the preseason.”
“Since a few weeks I’ve been playing with pain in my right knee. I decided to play until the end of the season, but after having spoken to the medical services, we’ve decided to stop and solve the problem to be 100% for the preseason,” the forward wrote.
“This wasn’t an easy decision to make because I won’t be able to be with my national team, Ghana the next meeting. Want to say that I am fully committed and I will come back with the Blackstars if the coach deems it appropriate next calls. Thank you for your support.”
Williams struggled a bit following the Qatar 2022 World Cup but made a strong end to the season by contributing some important goals.
The Ghana striker ended the 2022/23 campaign with 11 goals and five assists in all competitions for his club.
