To see the Roos train in South Africa...
   

The 27-year-old missed a large part of the recently-concluded English Premier League season with Chelsea due to knee and ankle injuries and has hardly played any competitive football since December.

National coach Milovan Rajevac had hoped the former Lyon man would be passed fit for the showpiece tournament in South Africa this year, but the Ghana Football Association on Thursday announced he was not expected to be back in action until the end of July.

A statement on www.ghanafa.org read: "An evaluation by a combined team of medical experts from the Ghana Football Association and Chelsea Football Club revealed that Essien will not make full recovery until the end of July."

"The Ghana Football Association wishes him full recovery and a quick return to football action."

Essien has been recovering from a knee injury picked up on African Nations Cup duty in Angola in January.

Ghana, which will be making its second appearance at the World Cup finals, is in Group D alongside Germany, Serbia and Australia.

A Chelsea spokesman, asked about the delayed July return date, explained: "Complications arising from the surgery have meant Michael's recovery has been slower than expected."

To see the Roos train in South Africa...