Leicester manager Nigel Pearson blames Ghana FA for excluding Jeffrey Schlupp from AFCON squad
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson says his side had no hand in Jeffrey Schlupp’s withdrawal from Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations duty after he played in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke on Saturday.
Schlupp, who was named in Avram Grant’s provisional 26-man squad, pulled out of Ghana's squad with a knee injury.
The 22-year-old suffered the setback when played and scored for Leicester in their 2-2 draw with Liverpool on New Year’s Day.
Schlupp’s appearance for Leicester on the day the tournament kicked off in Equatorial Guinea has come as a surprise.
But Pearson feels there is no need to justify that.
"We said he would be out for 10 days to two weeks and that's the case. I don't see how it (him playing) is a surprise. I didn't pull him out of anything,” he said.
"He had scans here and was advised not to fly because of the swelling and then he went down to London to have an independent medical that was organized by the Ghanaian FA, and they came to the same conclusion as we did.
"They decided not to include him in their squad. If they've any problems then they need to look at their own administrators. It's nothing to do with me.
"What the Ghanaian FA decide to do in terms of making statements, how their administrators operate or comments the managers want to make, is entirely up to them, but quite frankly I couldn't care less about that."
Schlupp has made 18 league appearances for the Foxes and scored three goals.
Readers Comment
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kantoose
9 years ago
Nigel Pearyon, You may end up loosing every single game until the Afcon is over. If you are that unlucky Schlupp may even end up being truly injured! its called Karma operating from the concience! ya dunno??
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Cookes
9 years ago
The club played an integral role in this saga. Schlup has not yet proven himself and this tournament may have helped raise his profile.
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Lord Denning
9 years ago
Sounds very arrogant
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obele
9 years ago
This coach is selfish and stupid bastard. Hope his team is relegated from the premiership. Even bigger and better teams release their players for tournaments. Nonsense.
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Dr Who
9 years ago
Time will tell
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LeShaq
9 years ago
Leicester needs him more in their relegation fight. If he had made the Ghana squad, they will bench and disvalue him. Good dicision Schlupp.
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Matteo A
9 years ago
Whilst I understand the disappointment at losing Jeffrey Schlupp for the tournament (as expressed quite forcefully on this page), I think some of the accusations against Leicester City are unfair and inaccurate and indicate that some of the commentators have not read what was written properly. Let me help. Leicester City did not refuse to release the player (they released Riyad Mahrez to Algeria) – it was the Ghanaian FA who decided not to name him in their final squad. This decision was based upon the medical information supplied by the club – i.e. that the knee injury sustained in a match at Liverpool on the 1st of January would keep him out of action for between 10 and 14 days. This finding was independently verified by a Ghana-appointed medical team in London. The player did not withdraw from the squad. The club did refuse to release him. The Ghanaian FA withdrew his name from the final squad. He played in a match against Stoke City on the 18th of January – exactly 17 days after sustaining the injury at Liverpool.
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Amoration
9 years ago
LeShaq you talk like a baboon. Better mind your bloody ass.
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