It's an 'amazing feeling' after recovering from ACL injury, says Ghana and Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu

Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu says it was an "amazing feeling" to return to competitive football after spending eight months on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The 27-year-old made a late appearance on Friday night as AS Monaco beat RC Lens 2-1 in Ligue 1, helping the club extend its unbeaten start to the 2026-27 season under Brazilian coach Filipe Luís.

Salisu's injury ruled him out for most of last season and cost him a place in Ghana's squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Monaco secured a fourth win in five league matches, with the former Southampton centre-back coming off the bench in the second half.

Despite his brief outing, Salisu made two clearances and admitted he was relieved to be back on the pitch.

"Amazing feeling. It's been a long time, it's been a hard time, and I think I'm happy to be back, and I hope I will get more minutes," he told Monaco's media.

"It's a big step for me; even to get a few minutes to play, it's an amazing feeling."

Although he has returned to club action, Salisu has been left out of Ghana's opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Ivory Coast and The Gambia as he continues his recovery.