Newcastle signing Christian Atsu has been left out of the Ghana squad for the 2019 Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia and friendly games against USA and Mexico because of an injury.
Atsu was the surprise omission from the 30-man squad released by the Ghana Football Association but sources within the team told KweséESPN that has been left out because of a minor injury and operation has had in the off-season.
The Newcastle man is one of several big names who will miss Kwesi Appiah's first game back as Black Stars coach. Also out is midfielder Mubarak Wakaso, goalkeeper Razak Braimah who has struggled for games at club level, Baba Rahman through injury and still no place for Crystal Palace left back Jeffery Schlupp.
Appiah has also recalled goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey whose fall out with the coach at the 2014 World Cup became one of the major talking points of a miserable Ghana campaign.
There are seven home based players in the squad for the three games, with Appiah going some way to back his promise that he will players in the local league a bigger chance of staking a claim at places in the side. Three of those players are goalkeeper: Asante Kotoko's Felxi Annan, Joseph Addo of Aduana Stars and Richard Ofori who started Ghana's last competitive game against Burkina Faso at the Nations Cup.
The other home based players are Hearts midfielder Winful Cobinnah and Aduana Stars defender Daniel Dankwah.
The team will begin camping in Accra on Monday and before facing Ethiopia on June 11th in the first qualifying game for places at the 2019 Nations Cup.
Goalkeepers: Richard Ofori (Wa Allstars), Adam Kwarasey (Brondby, Denmark), Felix Annan (Kotoko), Joseph Addo (Aduana Stars)
Defenders: Harrison Afful (Columbus Crew, USA), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City, England) Lumor Agbenyenu (Munich 1860, Germany), Daniel Darkwah (Aduana Stars, Ghana), John Boye (Sivasspor, Turkey), Rashid Sumalia (Al Gharafa, Qatar), Nicholas Opoku (B.Chelsea, Ghana), Jonathan Mensah (Columbus Crew, USA), Jerry Akaminko ( Eskiserhispor, Turkey), Samuel Sarfo (Liberty, Ghana)
Midfielders: Mohammed Abu (Columbus Crew, USA), Afriyie Acquah (Torino, Italy), Isaac Sackey (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Ebenezer Ofori (Stuttgart, Germany), Kingsley Sarfo (Sirius, Sweden), Winful Cobbinah (Hearts of Oak), Yaw Yeboah (FC Twente, Holland), Godsway Donyoh (Nordjaelland, Denmark), Andre Ayew (West Ham, England), Frank Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium), Thomas Agyepong (NAC Breda, Holland)
Attackers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Alhi, UAE), Jordan Ayew (Swansea City, England), Majeed Waris (Lorient FC, France), Raphael Dwamena (FC Zurich, Switzerland)