Earlier this week we reported on Declan Rice's fitness update before England's meeting with Ghana. The wider build-up has now shifted to Thomas Partey, who says he feels OK and ready to play in Boston on Tuesday. He missed Ghana's win against Panama because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK, and this has become part of the pre-match picture around England vs Ghana.
"It's part of football. Things happen outside football that you cannot control. For me now, I feel OK and ready to play."
Partey's availability for Boston
Partey was denied entry to Canada before turning his focus back to the England game, and his own words leave little room for doubt about his availability. He told BBC Sport that he feels ready, while US customs and border protection said the US was aware of the pending court case and that he had not been convicted of a crime, but was admitted after being issued a visa.
The legal case itself is not new. Partey 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. That is why his absence against Panama mattered, and why his presence against England has been pulled so firmly into the conversation.
Ghana and England arrive level on points
The football side of this is still real. England have 3 points after one match and have scored 4 goals, while Ghana also have 3 points and have not conceded yet. Neither side is walking into Boston with the feel of a dead rubber behind them.
Carlos Queiroz put it bluntly enough. "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. Everybody is fully switched on and everybody wants to perform well."
That is the point here: Partey is not being framed as a sideshow by Ghana. He is back in the middle of the conversation because he says he is fit, and because Tuesday's match has enough at stake for his availability to matter.
Boston is next, and Ghana know whether Partey starts or not will shape how they approach England vs Ghana on Tuesday.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →