Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has been ruled out of the Black Stars’ upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.

The 35-year-old forward suffered a groin injury during Sheffield United’s defeat to Stoke City over the weekend.

Ayew reported to the Black Stars camp on Monday night and underwent further assessment by the team’s medical staff.

He was subsequently ruled out of both qualifiers.

His absence adds to Ghana’s growing injury concerns ahead of the qualifiers, with Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo also unavailable.

Kudus opted to remain with Tottenham to continue his recovery and regain fitness, while Semenyo asked to be excused from the September-October international window to recover from a lingering ankle injury.

Ghana will begin its 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday before returning to Accra to face Gambia next Tuesday.

With Ayew, Kudus and Semenyo all out, the Black Stars will have to begin their qualifying campaign without three key members of their attack.