Ghana team includes Boateng, Essien and Muntari on World Cup roster

Injured Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has been included on Ghana's preliminary 30-man World Cup roster along with Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari and Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has never played for the Black Stars.

Essien injured a hamstring playing for Chelsea on Dec. 8, returned to appear for Ghana in the African Cup of Nations, then hurt his right knee in training with the Black Stars on Jan. 17. He has not played since.

Sunderland defender John Mensah, sidelined for much of the season by a calf injury, also was picked by Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac.

Boateng will have to be given international clearance because he has played for Germany's under-21 team.

Muntari was recalled after being overlooked for this year's African Cup of Nations.

Regular captain Stephen Appiah also was picked and two years of knee injuries that caused him to him miss out on the Cup of Nations.Ghana-based goalkeepers Stephen Aholu and Stephen Adams were handed their first call-ups to the national team.

The team will gather in France for a training camp that starts May 24. Ghana has friendlies against the Netherlands on June 1 and Latvia at Milton Keynes, England, on June 5 before heading to South Africa.

The Black Stars were the only African team to reach the second round of the 2006 World Cup, where they beat the Czech Republic and the United States in the first round before getting knocked out by Brazil. They are grouped this time with Germany, Rajevac's native Serbia and Australia.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars), Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals), Stephen Aholu (Heart of Lions), Richard Kingston (Wigan, England)

Defenders: Eric Addo (Roda, Netherlands), Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea), Rahim Ayew (Zamalek, Egypt), Samuel Inkoom (Basel, Switzerland), Jonathan Mensah (Granada, Spain), John Mensah (Sunderland, England), John Paintsil (Fulham, England), Hans Adu Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Midfielders: Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd, Qatar), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg, Norway), Stephen Appiah (Bologna, Italy), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy), Dede Ayew (Arles-Avignon, France), Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Derek Boateng (Getafe, Spain), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth, England), Haminu Draman (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Bernard Kumordzie (Panionios, Greece), Laryea Kingston (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, Italy)

Forwards: Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan, Italy), Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda, Netherlands) Asamoah Gyan (Rennes, France), Prince Tagoe (Hoffenheim, Germany)

The Canadian Press // AFP