Club vrs Country: Avram Grant snubs Marseille's plea for Dede to be rested

Black Stars coach, Avram Grant has shrugged aside suggestions that he rest stand-in captain, Andre Ayew for Tuesday's international friendly against Mali in Paris.

Reports in France suggested that Ayew's club, Olympique Marseille had wanted the playmaker rested for the second of Ghana's two friendly games on three days in their desperation to get a fresh Ayew the upcoming decisive French league clash against champions, PSG on Sunday in France's own Classico.

Marseille sit third on 57 points, two adrift of leaders PSG and could overtake their rivals atop the Ligue 1 standings with victory in the match day 31 tie at the Stade Velodrome and apparently Marseille coach, Marcelo Bielsa was keen on an Ayew sit-out for Ghana against Mali.

But the Ghana coach insists that aside the injured Jonathan Mensah, he will not rest Ayew nor any of his other key players, Avram Grant is adamant that with the game being on Tuesday, there will be enough time for Ayew and for that matter any of Ghana's players to recover for the weekend's matches for their various clubs, meaning the son of Abedi Pele will skipper the Black Stars against the Eagles.

'I think a lot of the players with us in camp with us have very important matches this weekend. For instance, I know Andre Ayew is playing on Sunday (against Paris Saint-Germain of course),' Coach Grant said in an interview.

'We play on a Tuesday and those club matches are on Saturday and Sunday so they will have about 5 days of rest," the Israeli tactician explained.

"We will see analyse and take a decision on their fitness and rest but I think they will be in good shape for their respective clubs," Avram Grant concluded. Follow @thedonplato