Algeria are most likely to miss their key defender Rafik Halliche when they play Ghana in their crucial Africa Cup of Nations clash on Friday because of a stubborn calf injury, GHANAsoccernet.com can be exclusively reveal.
The Qatar-based centre-back was rushed to a hospital in their Equatorial Guinea base of Mongomo on Wednesday night because of the persistent and painful calf problem, Ghana's leading football news website can reveal.
Algeria chief medical officer Dr. Ali Yekdah accompanied the defender to the hospital at Mongomo at about 8pm on Wednesday night for further tests in the calf.
X-rays have not given hope to the medical team of the Desert Foxes who are now coming to the conclusion that Halliche will not be fit to face Ghana on Friday.
They have come to the conclusion that he has an inflammation of the calf.
While he had trained as normal in the squad on Wednesday morning, Halliche felt the pain again in the calf late in the afternoon.
On Tuesday he could not train as he remained in the team's Akouakam Hotel to undergo treatment from the medical care which gave him the hope to return to the squad on Wednesday but the pains at night resulted in the decision for him to be sent to the hospital.
"Rafik Halliche took a little break from the workouts because he was injured. It's true that his muscle is a little bit sour. He also had trouble playing the match against South Africa," Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff said about his defender's absence on Tuesday.
Barely 24 hours before the match against Ghana, it will probably be just too early just to recover for tomorrow's game against the Black Stars.
If for Halliche fails to recover for the match, the coach thinks Majid Bougherra could replace him.