Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac says the Black Stars are facing a further injury blow as midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu is set to be ruled out of next month’s World Cup.

This comes just one day after influential midfielder Michael Essien was ruled out of the tournament in South Africa because of complications of a knee injury.

His absence would be a knock out blow for Ghana as the Italy-based youngster is the like-for-like replacement for the talismanic Essien.

Badu suffered the injury while playing for his club Udinese two weeks before the season ended in the Serie A.

It was thought his Spanish doctors are confident he will recover in time for the tournament but it seems the Ghana medical team has other ideas

Rajevac also said several other players were battling to be fit for Ghana’s World Cup Group D opener against his native Serbia in Pretoria on June 13.

“We have players nursing niggling injuries while midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu is still uncertain of recovering in time for the start of the tournament so it’s a real headache,” Rajevac said.

“But we have to move on with the walking wounded and without the missing, that’s our situation and we still have high hopes of doing well in the tournament because those who are available are raring to go.”

Ghana will play Serbia, Australia and Germany in Group D of the World Cup