Ghana's Partey ready to play against England after entry issues

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has confirmed he is ready to play against England on Tuesday in Boston, after being denied entry to Canada for the Black Stars' World Cup opener. The 33-year-old, who currently plays for Spanish club Villarreal, missed Ghana's win against Panama last week because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK.

Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022. He is scheduled to stand trial next year. He was denied entry to Canada after telling officials he had never been arrested or charged with a crime, but is expected to feature against England.

"It's part of football," Partey said. "Things happen outside football that you cannot control. For me now, I feel OK and ready to play." US Customs and Border Protection stated that Partey has not been convicted of a crime and was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa.

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz said his players are "fully motivated" to face England. "This is the easiest type of match, because when you're about to play against England, France or Germany, you don't need to say anything to the players," he added. "Everybody is fully switched on and everybody wants to perform well."