The text message was sent in jest, banter between close friends. “Get your shinpads on, otherwise you’re in trouble!” wrote Ali Sulley Muntari to his compatriot Michael Essien. Muntari’s Inter Milan, of Serie A in Italy, had just been drawn to play against Essien’s Chelsea, of the English Premier League, in the Uefa Champions League, club football’s most elite competition. Two tough midfield players were enjoying anticipating their collision.

It never happened. Essien should have swapped shinpads for shock absorbers for his knee ligaments over the past six months. Essien did not play for his club in 2010 and though he was hopeful that recuperation from surgery might be possible in time to captain Ghana at the World Cup, he was last month ruled out of the tournament.

Nobody in the Black Stars’ squad or almost anybody the length and breadth of the West African nation would dispute that with that blow, Ghana had lost their most influential and dynamic footballer.

What is widely debated is how Milovan Rajevac, the head coach whose task today is to out-think his Serbian compatriot Radomir Antic, goes about making amends for Essien’s absence.

His choices range from the very young and energetic to the older and wiser options, some of whom have question marks over their fitness or their form.

Even the captaincy itself is at issue.

Essien’s withdrawal released the armband and its nominal taker is Stephen Appiah, the captain of Ghana before Essien assumed the role and a widely admired and able leader of teams.