West Ham United manager, David Moyes has expressed his disappointment after Mohammed Kudus made his last appearance for the club before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 23-year-old will join Black Stars camp this weekend to begin preparations for the tournament in Ivory Coast next month.
Kudus has been brilliant since joining the London club in the summer transfer window, scoring ten goals in 23 matches.
After excelling in their 2-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, Moyes has urged 'other players' to step up in the absence of the Ghanaian stalwart after starring in the victory over Arsenal on Thursday night.
"It’s a brilliant start for us [to have the Club’s highest points tally at the halfway point of the season] and it’s another win," said Moyes after the game.
"I just keep looking at the wins and it’s great that we can do that. We keep going and we want to build on it.
"Unfortunately we’re probably going to lose Mo [Kudus] to the Africa Cup of Nations, so we’re going to need other players to step up. This is where we need to see players coming in, stepping up and keeping us going in that direction, because we’re going to need them badly."
The Black Stars will open camp in Kumasi on January 2 ahead of the tournament. Kudus is expected to make Ghana's final squad for the tournament.
Ghana have been housed in Group B alongside Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
The Black Stars of Ghana will first come up against Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 14, 2024, then face Egypt at the same venue four days later and then Mozambique at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on January 22, 2024.
The 34th edition of the AFCON has been scheduled to kick off from January 13 to February 11.