Former Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen has revealed Chelsea did everything possible for Michael Essien to play in the 2010 World Cup.
The Ghana midfielder picked up a knee injury during Ghana’s opening match of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations against Ivory Coast.
The sporting director of Chelsea at the time Frank Arnesen in an exclusive interview with 3Sports revealed that the club took Essien to Paris for further tests.
“He had a bad injury knee injury and we went to Paris for tests. Our doctors said Essien cannot play in the AFCON because it’ll be too demanding. We need him to rest.”
2010 remains Michael Essien’s dark hour. The Ghanaian missed majority of the AFCON and the entire World Cup due to injury.
Chelsea technical director at the time Frank Arnesen reveals the club tried everything possible for the midfielder to be fit ahead of the Mundial.#3Sports pic.twitter.com/OCRGmj1W9Z
— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) March 29, 2023
The 2010 World Cup was set to be hosted in South Africa a few months away and Chelsea tried everything possible to get Essien fit in time.
“I explained the situation to the Ghana Football Association president and everyone agreed Essien won’t be risked before the World Cup. We put him on a special recovery and managed his game time but he couldn’t make it in time.”
Ghana reached the quarter-finals of the Mundial without the injured Essien. The player won the UEFA Champions League with the Blues a couple of years later.