2027 AFCON Qualifiers: Alexander Djiku ruled out of Ghana v The Gambia clash due to injury

Ghana defender Alexander Djiku has been ruled out of the Black Stars' 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against The Gambia after failing to recover from the injury he suffered in last week's defeat to Côte d'Ivoire.

The experienced centre-back was forced off during Ghana's 2-0 loss in Bouaké on Thursday and had been racing against time to regain fitness ahead of Tuesday's Group C encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Djiku had expressed optimism about recovering in time for the match, but medical assessments have now confirmed that he will not be available for selection.

His absence represents another injury setback for head coach Carlos Queiroz, who is already dealing with a depleted squad as Ghana seek to recover from an opening-day defeat in the qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars are without several key players, including Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Alidu Seidu, Nathaniel Adjei and Baba Rahman, among others.

Djiku's latest injury frustration comes after he missed Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign through injury and only recently returned to the national team setup.

Ghana host The Gambia in Accra on Tuesday, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 GMT. The four-time African champions will be aiming to secure their first points of the qualifiers after starting the campaign with defeat away to Côte d'Ivoire.

The Black Stars currently sit bottom of Group C and are determined to revive their qualification hopes as they attempt to return to the AFCON finals after missing out on the previous edition in Morocco.