Ghana defender Jeff Schlupp is aiming to make cut and be first Leicester City player to go to the World Cup since Muzzy Izzet in 2002.

Leicester City defender Jeff Schlupp was named in Ghana’s provisional squad on Monday to travel to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil this summer.

The 21-year-old Academy graduate’s impressive form for the Foxes at left-back has seen him join the Black Stars’ 26-man squad ahead of their World Cup campaign, which begins on June 16.

The squad will be trimmed down to 23 following a May 31 friendly with Holland in Rotterdam, after which Schlupp will discover if he is on the plane to Brazil.

If he makes the final squad, Schlupp will be the first Leicester City player to go to a World Cup since Muzzy Izzet in 2002, when he helped Turkey reach the semi-finals.

Ghana have been drawn in a tough Group G alongside Germany, Portugal and the USA, against whom Schlupp and his team-mates will open their campaign in Natal on June 16.

The final two group games will be against Germany in Fortaleza on June 21 and Portugal in Brazil’s capital city of Brasilia on June 26.

But before then, Schlupp will have the chance to stake his claim for a starting spot in friendlies against Holland in Rotterdam and one final warm-up against South Korea in Miami on June 9.

The Germany-born youngster is eligible to play for Ghana through his parents, and has one previous cap, which came as a substitute against Gabon in 2011.