Southampton manager Russell Martin has revealed that Ghana forward Kamaldeen Sulemana will be out of action until the New Year due to a hamstring injury.
This means that he faces a race against time to be fit for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on January 13th.
Martin confirmed during a press conference on Friday that Sulemana will be sidelined until mid-to-late January after an injury in Wednesday’s night game against Bristol City.
“Kamaldeen felt his hamstring on Wednesday night, he’ll have a similar timeline to Ross. Two big losses but when someone gets injured it’s an opportunity for someone else. They’ll get everyone’s best care and attention.
“We’ve been really clear about January, what we need and what we want. We didn’t envisage those two getting injured, so it might change the plan a little bit. It depends on their progress and the results between now and then. People will have the chance to step up now to take the opportunities. Everyone else has to be ready,” he added.
The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries since joining Southampton from French side Rennes in January 2023, and has missed qualifying matches for Ghana this year.
He will be hoping to recover fast to be included in the Ghana squad for the tournament in Ivory Coast where Black Stars will play Egypt, Mozambique and Cape Verde.