According to Parma's team doctor, Dr. Manara: 'Appiah will be ruled out for a long time'

Appiah To Miss Mali2002

COLLECCHIO, Italy, Jan 4 -- Parma midfielder Stephen Appiah is a major doubt for Ghana in the forthcoming African Nations Cup in Mali, his club said Friday. Appiah is one of three players leaving Parma for the tournament, along with Cameroonian Patrick Mboma and Togo's Khalid Kader.

But Appiah's involvement in the tournament may be restricted by injury. Parma club doctor Massimo Manera said: "The player has felt a strain to the adductor muscles in the right thigh and it will be very difficult for him to play in Mali.

"Now he will leave as regulations require to attend the training camp and work out with the doctors of the Ghanaian team the condition of his injury. But he had a problem like that when he played for Udinese and on that occasion he was out for a month and a half."