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INJURY DOUBT: Asamoah Gyan

GHANA WILL delay naming their 23-man African Nations Cup squad until the last minute as they wait on a decision regarding the fitness of star striker Asamoah Gyan.

Gyan, who is on loan at United Arab Emirates club Al Ain from Sunderland, picked up a hamstring injury during his team’s 4-0 win over Emirates at the end of December. Doctors ordered that the 26-year-old rest for three weeks to recuperate and there are fears that he may not make a full recovery before Ghana’s first game against Botswana on January 24.

Kwasi Nyantakyi, President of Ghana Football Association has already revealed that the 2010 World Cup star will only be considered if he is fully fit and Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic has until midnight tonight (GMT time) to make a final decision and submit his team to the Confederation of African Football.

A Serbian specialist medical team were flown out to Ghana’s pre-tournament training camp in South Africa and reports suggest that Gyan has been taking traditional horse placenta treatment to try and speed up his recovery.

The striker, who has scored 27 goals in 54 appearances for his country, admitted to the Ghana FA website that he was hopeful of making the cut: “I'm really important to the team and I will do anything possible to get fit for the Nations Cup.”

Gyan is seen as the nation’s best hope for winning the tournament and former international Yaw Preko told Accra radio station Happy FM that the team would ‘be in trouble’ if he missed out: “To be very honest with you if Gyan fails to recover fully, we’re in trouble.

"He has been our best attacker ever since he broke into the Black Stars team with so much experience at his disposal. He’s mentally tough and in going to such tournament, you need such players to win the cup.”