Ghana's dependable midfielder Anthony Annan has suffered an injury in the already injury-ravaged Black Stars with ten days to the African Cup of Nations.

Ghana's injury-list shows little sign of easing in the short-term as Annan might be struggling to be fit for the tournament because of a groin strain.

He is the SIXTH Black Stars player to have suffered injury just before the tournament starts in Angola. The latest injury has all but ended Ghana's hopes of winning their fifth African Cup of Nations title for the tournament.

The news from the Black Stars camp in South Africa is not all positive as the treatment room is also crammed to the rafters with key players. Influential stars Stephen Appiah, Laryea Kingston and John Paintsil are all ruled out of the tournament with injuries.

Other first choice players Michael Essien and John Mensah are struggling to fit as the tournament starts on 10 January. Annan's setback means more than half of Ghana's regular first team players are out of the tournament.

The Norway-based player is believed to have suffered the injury just before he arrived in camp while training to remain fit for the competition.

Ghana doctors are working around the clock to ensure that he is fit for the tournament and he is likely to play a part in the competition.

Otherwise he will also be exlcuded from the list after John Paintsil pulled out of the team earlier on Wednesday The Ghana Football Association have been making frantic phone calls to ensure suitable replacements are found for the crocked players and those expected to recover.

Ghana opted not to take more than 23 players to its training camp in South Africa because there were ugly scene after some players were dropped before the previous tournament in 2008.

A similar thing occured before the 2006 World Cup when Baba Armando, Baffour Gyan and others were dropped from the final squad which led to some chaos.