Athletico Bilbao striker Inaki Williams will not be available for Ghana’s upcoming 2023 AFCON qualifier against Madagascar.
On June 18, the Black Stars will go for Madagascar in an effort to maintain their lead in Group E of the qualifying competition.
Williams, who was originally scheduled to play but has since withdrawn, was a member of the Ghana coach Chris Hughton’s roster that was revealed last week.
The 28-year-old stated he had to withdraw owing to a knee ailment in a statement posted on his Twitter page.
He claims that despite playing through the pain for Athletic Bilbao, his medical staff has now instructed him to “solve the problem to be 100% for the preseason.”
— IÑAKI WILLIAMS (@Williaaams45) June 5, 2023
“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.”
🚨 @Williaaams45 withdraws from #BlackStars squad due to injury#PulseSports pic.twitter.com/EaZzRvHc1R
— Pulse Ghana (@PulseGhana) June 5, 2023
Williams experienced some difficulty after the Qatar 2022 World Cup, but he helped the team finish the season strongly by scoring some crucial goals.
The Ghanaian striker finished the 2022–23 season for his team with 11 goals and five assists in all competitions.