Ghana will be without Antoine Semenyo for their crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Somalia in November after the Manchester City winger was ruled out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury.

The 26-year-old sustained the injury during City’s Premier League victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday, dealing a significant blow to the Black Stars ahead of their Group C double-header scheduled between November 11 and 14.

Semenyo’s absence is particularly concerning for Ghana, who are bottom of the group without a point after losing their opening two matches against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.

The forward also missed those fixtures through an ankle injury, leaving the Black Stars without one of their key attacking options as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire and a 4-2 loss to The Gambia.

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the latest setback after medical examinations offered some relief that the injury was not as serious as initially feared.

“After the scan we feel much better because it’s not as bad as we expected,” Maresca said.

“It could be eight weeks, so now the most important thing is for him to recover.”

Semenyo’s expected absence leaves Ghana with added pressure to secure maximum points against Somalia and revive their qualification hopes.

The technical team must now identify alternatives to fill the gap left by the winger as the Black Stars seek to recover from their disappointing start and keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 AFCON alive.