The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced that Inaki Williams has pulled out of the upcoming Black Stars games to rest and recover from recent injury setbacks.
Williams, who had a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, has bounced back with strong performances for Athletic Bilbao. He was in action for the club on the day the 26-man squad was announced, but has since requested to be left out of the friendly games against Nigeria and Uganda in Morocco.
"Inaki Williams pulled out of the games to have some rest and fully recover from recent injury setbacks," the GFA confirmed.
Williams has been in impressive form for Athletic Bilbao this season, scoring 11 goals and assisting three in all competitions. His goals were crucial in helping the Basque club secure a place in the Copa del Rey final, where they will take on Mallorca hoping to win their first Copa trophy since 1984.
However, Williams is yet to find his feet with the Black Stars. He hasn't scored in a major tournament, failing to score at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and then early this year at the 2023 AFCON.
The Spanish-born striker, who completed his switch to play for Ghana in 2022, has scored just one goal for the national team. His lack of goals has been attributed to his teammates not trusting him enough.
Despite his struggles, Williams is expected to return to the Black Stars lineup in June for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and Central African Republic.