Ghana handed Mohammed Kudus fitness boost ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Kudus, who missed the 2026 World Cup tournament in North America through injury has yet to start games for the Premier League outfit since returning from injury.

Ahead of the sides EFL Cup clash against Liverpool, the Italian tactician has declared Kudus fit for the highly competitive clash on Tuesday night.

“Kudus can start, because in terms of physical condition he’s better, James not yet,” De Zerbi said.

The 26-year-old has made three consecutive substitute appearances since returning to competitive action after spending seven months on the sidelines with a quad injury.

Kudus made his comeback against Newcastle United on August 29, featuring for 22 minutes before gradually increasing his workload in subsequent matches.

He was again introduced from the bench in Tottenham’s goalless Premier League draw with Everton on Saturday, September 12, playing 27 minutes as he continued his gradual return to full fitness.

De Zerbi’s latest assessment now raises the possibility of Kudus making his first start for Tottenham since his return when Spurs travel to Anfield to face Liverpool.

Such a development would represent another significant step in the Ghanaian’s recovery and could provide Carlos Queiroz with further encouragement ahead of the Black Stars’ upcoming AFCON qualifiers.

Ghana are scheduled to travel to Bouaké on September 24 to face Côte d’Ivoire in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture before hosting The Gambia in Accra five days later.

Kudus’ availability for the qualifiers had been uncertain following his extended absence. The injury ruled him out for the second half of last season and also kept him away from Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign.

However, his return to competitive football has renewed hopes that he could be included in Queiroz’s squad for the crucial qualifiers.

The major concern now is how much playing time Kudus can accumulate before the international break. Although De Zerbi believes the midfielder is physically ready to start, the Tottenham star still needs to regain his full match sharpness after being out of action for 237 days.

A starting role against Liverpool would therefore offer a significant indication of his progress and potentially strengthen Ghana’s hopes of having one of their most influential attacking players available for the qualifiers.

Kudus has established himself as a key figure for the Black Stars since making his international debut, with his creativity, technical ability and attacking threat making him an important component of Ghana’s plans.

With the Black Stars preparing to begin their quest for qualification to the 2027 AFCON, De Zerbi’s latest update on Kudus will come as welcome news to Queiroz and Ghanaian supporters.

The focus will now be on his involvement against Liverpool and whether he can continue building his fitness ahead of Ghana’s meetings with Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.

Source:Fiilasports/ghanasoccernet