GHANA’s football association says Michael Essien is available again for his country after the Chelsea midfielder took a break from international football to aid his recovery from a knee injury.

GFA spokesman Randy Abbey said on Thursday that Essien is back in Ghana’s plans after he missed most of the 2010 African Cup of Nations and the team’s run to the World Cup quarterfinals because of the knee problem.

Essien then put his international career on hold, opting out of 2012 African Cup qualifiers against Swaziland and Sudan to concentrate on his return for Chelsea.

Abbey says Essien could play against Congo in Ghana’s next qualifier in March, which would be his first international in more than a year.

Agencies