It is hoped that Baba Rahman’s injury which has cost him the rest of the AFCON tournament, would not be a stumbling block in his career.
Ghana defender, Baba Rahman will not be able to play for the rest of the 2017 African Cup of nations season. The Chelsea left-back who is on loan at Schalke this season, sustained the injury in Ghana’s 1-0 win over Uganda on Tuesday, January 17.
The 22-year-old left-back who reportedly tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, was stretchered off the field 39 minutes into Ghana’s opening game against Uganda.
See Also: Christian Atsu Named Man of the Match In Black Stars AFCON Clash with Uganda
Rahman was flown to London for treatment and subsequently to Germany, where he underwent surgery under the supervision of a leading expert. The operation which lasted for two hours, took place at Hessingpark-Klink hospital in Augsburg.
Baba Rahman will now begin a period of recovery that is expected to last up to seven months. The left-back will face the rest of the season on the sidelines due to his injury. Sources have indicated that there are no plans for him to return to London at present. Moreover, Chelsea is expected to work closely with Schalke to decide the best location for his recovery.
According to reports, Rahman will return to Chelsea following his £17m move from Augsburg in 2015. If things go according to plan, he should be returning to full fitness in August. It is now left with the club to decide if he stays or is sent on another loan before the summer transfer window closes. It is hoped that Baba Rahman’s injury which has caused him the rest of the AFCON tournament, would not be a stumbling block in his career.
Ghana Football Association (GFA) has said it would compensate Baba Rahman as regards his injury. According to the President of the association Kwesi Nkyatanki, the GFA will offer all the support to injured Rahman on his road to recovery. The GFA boss who spoke to Graphic Sports, feared that Rahman’s predicament could lead to lost in remuneration at his club for lack of action over a long period.
He explained that in most clubs, if a player is not active for more than two or three months, he would be put on half salary. The GFA boss stressed further that in some cases, “they would put you out of salary if you don’t have an insurance to underwrite the salaries for you”.
As a result, the Ghana Football Association is considering providing Baba a compensation package in addition to all winning bonus he is entitled to. Nkyatanki also said the GFA would also consider providing insurance cover for players as motivation to play for the national team.
Also See: Black Stars Declare Readiness to Accept Any Amount as AFCON Bonus
Rahman began his career at Dreams FC. He currently plays as a left back for German side Schalke 04 on loan from English club Chelsea and for the Ghana national team. He joined Chelsea from Bundesliga side Augsburg for an initial £14 million five-year deal in August 2015. But he made only 15 Premier League appearances under Jose Mourinho and his successor Guus Hiddink.
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